Rubber nanocomposites with graphene as the nanofiller

The excellent mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties, as well as the large aspect ratio of graphene have made it a subject of significant scientific attraction. Graphene/rubber nanocomposites are the multifunctional rubber materials that are fabricated by incorporating graphene or oxidized state of graphene sheets into different rubber matrices. The present chapter deals with the different synthesis procedures of graphene oxide (GO), reduced GO, and graphene, along with their physicochemical characterizations. The present chapter also explores the different fabrication methods and several characterizations (physical, mechanical, electrical, etc.) of graphene based rubber nanocomposites. Various fabrication methods adopted by the researchers to achieve significant dispersion of graphene have been discussed. Several rubber nanocomposites filled with graphene/functionalized graphene based on different rubber vulcanizates have been described concerning their preparation and different properties. Depending on the rubber–graphene structure formation at very low loading as well as interactions between each other, the mechanical, dynamic-mechanical, thermal, dielectric, etc. properties are generally changed. The formation of filler–filler networks in the rubber nanocomposites is generally responsible for the drastic increase in the electrical conductivity of the rubber nanocomposite materials.