Evaluation of the effect of graphite content on thermal conductivity and mechanical

properties of natural rubber latex-graphite composites

Nayanajith LDC*, Yoga MD, de Silva RCL, Kottegoda IRM

Introduction

Natural rubber (NR) is one of the main economic plantations in the world, of which the crop
is harvested as latex, an aqueous dispersion of polyisoprene. Latex is processed into dry
rubber by coagulation and drying. NR in these forms is extensively used in many fields due
to its excellent chemical and physical properties and industrial versatility. However, its poor
thermal conductivity (~ 0.15 W m -1K-1) [1] has become major technological barrier that
restricts itself to be employed in heating applications. In order to address this issue, NR
composites are considered to be a very promising solution [2]. Hence, as graphite is highly
thermal conductive (TC~ 473 W m-1K-1) [3] and is locally available in high purity (99% w/w) at
low cost, it was used to prepare NR-graphite composites with varying contents of graphite to
assess the effect of graphite content in NR-Graphite composite on thermal conductivity -
evaluated by thermal-gradient (TG) and simultaneously on mechanical properties -
evaluated by tensile properties. NR itself has excellent mechanical properties that attract it to
be employed in various applications. However, graphite would also be expected to have
adverse impacts on its mechanical properties due to the intrusion of graphite into its polymer
lattice. Therefore, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break of the prepared
composites were investigated.

Materials and Methods

Materials

Field latex with DRC ~ 30 %, Powdered graphite from Kahatagaha Mines (98%), Non-ionic
dispersant (Tamol), Sulfur (98 %), , Acetic acid (CH3COOH), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), Stearic acid
[CH3(CH2)16COOH], CBS ( N-Cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide).

Preparation of composites and characterization

First, 50 % (w/w) aqueous graphite dispersion was prepared using “Tamol” dispersant by
ball-milling. The dispersed graphite was mixed with NR latex so that Graphite-NR ratio was
varying from 0% to 60% in 10 % increments. The resulting mixtures were coagulated with
0
acetic acid and then dried thoroughly at 105 C. The prepared composites were
compounded with ZnO, stearic acid, CBS and sulfur in a two roll mill and the test specimens
for thermal analysis and tensile test were prepared by curing the compounded composites in
molds at 140 0C for 20 mint. Tensile test was carried out as per ISO 37:2017 standard
 20 mm

20 mm
(speed: 500 mm/min, Type1 dumb bell test piece - see Fig
1000C d01).
C0C d dDetermination of thermal-
gradient was carried out using a cylindrical test piece having the diameter and height of 20
mm. three K-type thermocouples(T1, T2 & T3) were fixed into the sample at distance of 5
d = 2.5 mm
mm, 7.5 mm and 10 mm from the heated end which was T3 at 100 0C as in Fig 02.
T1 T2kept

Fig 01: measurements

Temperature Tensile test piece
were recorded after 30 mint. Fig 02:maintaining
while TG test setup
the end at 100
0
C.
20 mm

1000C C0C d d 20 mm

d = 2.5 mm
T1 T2 T3

Fig 01: Tensile test piece Fig 02: TG test setup

Results and Discussion

Evaluation of thermal-gradient

ɗT
The thermal or temperature gradient is defined as ∇T = , ---------(i)
ɗ x

It is the ratio of the temperature difference between two points and the distance between the
two points and it is directly related to thermal conductivity which is defined by [4]

Q d
ⱪ= --------------------------(ii)
tA (T 2−T 1)

where, Q- amount of heat, t - time, A - area heat flowing through, d - distance between the
two points and T1 & T2 temperatures of the points (T1≤T2). The term in the formula,

d 1
is the reciprocal of the thermal-gradient ( ), which indicates that higher the
(T 2−T 1) ∇T
thermal conductivity lower the thermal-gradient when its other variables are kept constant.

Q
Hence, in this study was kept constant as it is required to evaluate thermal conductivity of
tA

1
the composites in term of their thermal-gradients. Then, ⱪ ∝ . ------------- (ii)
∇T

Therefore, Change in the thermal conductivity of composites with respect to the neat
compound ( 0%-graphite) is given by Δⱪ = ( ∇T0 -  ∇Ti)/ ∇T0 x 100 %------------(iv)

where, ∇T0 - Thermal-gradient of the neat compound and ∇Ti – that of the composite
 The results of thermal-gradient of the prepared composites with varying ratios of graphite (0
- 60 %) and measured at 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 mm from the heated end are shown in the Table 01,
Fig 03 and Fig 04. They indicate that the thermal-gradientTable
was 01 : Thermal analysis
approximately results
proportionally
decreasing as the graphite content increased. On the contrary, thermal conductivity of the
composites is increasing proportionately with the content of graphite.

5 Graphite, Average ∇T, Change in

60 %
0
C mm-1 thermal
4 conductivity, %
40
3 Δⱪ, 0 4.9 0.0
∇T
0C/mm % 20 10 4.0 18.3
2 20 3.6 26.5
0
1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 30 3.2 34.7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 40 2.5 49.0
Graphite, %
Graphite, % 50 2.1 57.1
60 1.6 67.3
Fig 03: thermal-gradient vs. Fig 04: Increase in thermal
graphite content conductivity vs. graphite
content
Evaluation of tensile properties

The elongation(E %) was observed to be gradually decreasing as the graphite content

increased up to 20 %, after which started to decrease drastically as the graphite content
increased further (refer to Fig 06). However, the tensile strength of the composites showed
an increase up to 20 % after which it decreased significantly as shown in Fig 05.

Fig 06: Elongation vs. graphite content

Fig 05: Tensile strength vs. graphite content

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the thermal conductivity of the resulting composites continues to be
increasing as the content of graphite is increased, and at the same time, it creates adverse
impacts on its mechanical properties that tensile strength and elongation at break are
slashed significantly as the graphite content is increased more than 20 %.

Reference

1] Chunmei, Z. Jun, P. and Lih-Sheng T., (2014) Adv polym. tech., Vol. 33, No. 10, 21448

[2] Junping, S. Lianxiang, M and Yan H. Chin. J. Chem. Eng. Vol 23, Issue 5, (2015), 853-859

[3]  "Graphite (C) - Classifications, Properties and Applications of Graphite". (2002)

AZoM.com. 10.
 [4] Bird, R. Byron; Stewart, Warren E.; Lightfoot, Edwin N. (2007), Transport
Phenomena (2nd ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., p. 266, ISBN 978-0-470-11539-8