Enhancing the Bonding between Compounded Rubber and Metal Surfaces by Incorporating Nanoparticles

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of functionalized silica nanoparticles on the adhesion strength and durability of rubber-metal bonds in important automobile and aerospace applications. Applying conventional rubber-metal bonding techniques presents certain challenges in that they might not be as robust as required at high stress in varying environmental conditions. We functionalized the silica nanoparticles using the Stöber technique and dispersed them in natural rubber at 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%. We examined the samples using infrared spectroscopy, peel tests, hardness tests, tensile tests, a scanning electron microscope, and thermal gravimetric analysis to understand the chemical bonds, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the nanocomposites we created. This current work shows an increase in tensile strength, hardness, and thermal stability by functionalizing silica nanoparticles into natural rubber. This structure indicates the possibility of silica agglomeration, which may have influenced the mechanical properties. Rubber-silica composites were evaluated for their mechanical and adhesive properties, focusing on the effect of silica content. Silica addition is shown to have a positive effect on the mechanical properties of rubber composites as the energy absorption increases from 247.43 units in the unreinforced sample to 686.19 units at 15g due to good filler-polymer interface and stress distribution. Regarding toughness, the 15g silica sample isolated the highest general tensile strength of 9.77 N/mm² and a general energy value of 3285.27 units. All the condensed functionalized silica nanoparticles improved mechanical properties, namely, 58.96% at 10 g and 88.94% at 15g of functionalized silica nanoparticles compared to the pure sample, confirming the significance of silica in enhancing the composite performance. The functionalized silica nanoparticles also improve the thermal properties of the natural rubber composites at the optimum performance level of 10g to 15g of silica. Consequently, this approach has yielded valuable predictions for industrial use, emphasizing the need for high-performance rubber-metal composites.