Multifunctional Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride) and Styrene Butadiene Rubber Blend Magneto-responsive Nanocomposites Based on Hybrid Graphene Oxide and Fe3O4: Synthesis, Preparation and Characterization

Abstract

Functional nanocomposites based on a blend of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) as the matrix reinforced by a hybrid nanofiller system of graphene oxide nanosheets (GOn) and ferromagnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) at different weight ratios (3.75:1.25; 2.5:2.5 and 1.25:3.75) were successfully prepared and characterized to determine the effect of nanofillers hybridization in improving the structural,mechanical, dielectric/electrical, magnetic and thermal properties of a polymer blend (PVDF-SBR) for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications. Due to the synergy between both nanofillers, it was found that the Young’s modulus of the nanocomposite containing 5 wt.% of the hybrid nanofiller was significantly improved (87%), while the strain at yield remained constant due to the low particle content and the rubbery effect of the SBR copolymer. In addition, the degradation temperature of the matrix was shifted from 464°C to 472 °C with the addition of 2.5:2.5 of GOn:Fe3O4. Finally, the hybrid reinforcement also had a positive effect on the electrical and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites with an improvement that exceeds 30%. By careful selection of synthetic techniques and understanding/exploiting the unique physics of the polymeric nanocomposites in such materials, novel functional polymer-inorganic nanocomposites can be designed and fabricated for new interesting in magneto applications such as superparamagnetism, electromagnetic wave absorption, and electromagnetic interference shielding.