From waste rubber to customized graphene/polymer nanocomposites: Thermal stability, flame retardancy and electrical conductivity

Wisniewska, Paulina and Wojcik, Natalia A. and Haponiuk, Jozef and Ryl, Jacek and Vahabi, Henri and Formela, Krzysztof and Saeb, Mohammad Reza (2025) From waste rubber to customized graphene/polymer nanocomposites: Thermal stability, flame retardancy and electrical conductivity. EXPRESS POLYMER LETTERS, 19 (9). pp. 878-892. ISSN 1788-618X

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Abstract

Waste rubber management through developing blends of thermoplastics with ground tire rubber (GTR) has gained significant attention for creating sustainable, high-performance materials with enhanced properties. In this work, we developed customized graphene/polymer nanocomposites applying GTR, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), taking carbon black (CB) as the reference additive. A wide range of electrical conductivity from 10–12 S/cm (dielectric) to 10–5 S/cm (semiconductor) was obtained for optimized composites containing GNPs and CB, respectively. Thermal, mechanical, and flame-retardant properties looked promising for additive manufacturing, while electrical conductivity was tailored for soft electronics. In view of processability, mechanical strength, and elasticity, GNPs-incorporated EVA/GTR composites showed an edge over their CB-aided counterparts. For example, tensile strength and elongation at break of EVA/GTR blends reinforced with 20 phr GNPs were 4.8 MPa and 681%, respectively, compared to 4.0 MPa and 651% for the composite comprising an identical amount of CB. Interestingly, combining GNPs and CB enhanced the thermal stability and flame retardancy of EVA/GTR compared to only GNPs or CB. These results were promising from both sustainability and advanced functional materials perspectives.

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