Bentonite (B) finds widespread application across various industrial sectors due to its physicochemical properties, including a specific surface area, high chemical and mechanical stability, as well as a variety of surface and structural properties. However, to further enhance its properties, natural B requires pretreatment. The microwave method has recently been employed for clay activation and the synthesis of nanomaterials. Microwave heating ensures uniform and thorough moisture removal from clay materials even at lower temperatures, thereby minimizing both time and energy required for the process. The innovation of this work lies in the utilization of microwave-modified B as a partial substitute for carbon black (CB) in natural rubber-based (Standard Malaysian rubber (SMR)) blends, with the aim of improving the material’s performance while reducing reliance on conventional fillers. B was subjected to microwave processing at different time intervals to achieve optimum processing. Subsequently, the modified B samples were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal analysis to assess the changes in structure and thermal properties. The prepared microwave-modified B were incorporated into natural rubber blends, partially replacing the commonly used filler, CB. The rheological behavior of the resulting polymer materials was evaluated using a rubber process analyzer, focusing on parameters such as optimum curing time (t_c90), scorch time(t_s), minimum torque (M_L) and maximum torque (M_H). The results showed that microwave-modified B improves the interaction between rubber and filler, increases the crosslinking rate, and results in better rheological behavior. This study shows that microwave-activated B could be a sustainable alternative to traditional fillers in natural rubber.

PDF (Download Full text)

Download Citation (XML)