Development in Air Permeability of Natural Rubber Tire Tube Compound by Adding Variable Dosage of Nanoclay

Summary Any material consisting of two or more components with different properties and distinct boundaries between their components can be referred to as a composite material. There are two groups of composites the first group comprises composites that are known as “filled materials”, the main feature of these materials is the existence of some basic or matrix material whose properties are improved by filling it with some particles and second group composites involves so called “reinforced materials”. The basic components of these materials are long and thin fibres possessing high strength and stiffness. Filler (particulate or thin fibers) is a solid material capable of changing the physical and chemical properties of materials by surface interaction or its lack thereof and by its own physical characteristics. High stiffness means that material exhibits low deformation under loading. Stiffness is an important property but it should be necessarily high. Ability of structure to have controlled deformation can be also important. Nano engineered polymeric materials are of great interest, rapidly growing new class of materials alternative to conventional filled polymers or polymer blends. Conventional clay plays the role of a loading agent or diluent without property enhancement or reinforcement and hence we have used nanoclay which imparts significant mechanical reinforcement and improved air permeability property for natural rubber based tube compound. Natural rubber/nanoclay along with other additives were mixed in a laboratory mixer for specified time and temperature, by determining rheological and curing properties rubber compounds were molded in to standard dimension sheets using a compression mold and molding machine thereafter specimens were prepared and characterized for hardness, modulus (100%, 200%), tensile strength, tension set, air permeability test and surface morphology.