Effect of ZnO nanoparticles doped graphene on static and dynamic mechanical properties of natural rubber composites

In this work, effect of ZnO nanoparticles doped graphene (Nano-ZnO–GE) on static and dynamic mechanical properties of natural rubber composites were studied. Nano-ZnO–GE was synthesized by sol–gel method and thermal treatment. With the incorporation of nano-ZnO–GE into the matrix, the mechanical properties of NR nanocomposite significantly improved over that of NR composite containing with 5 phr of conventional-ZnO. The results demonstrated that the presence of nano-ZnO on the surface of graphene sheets not only conduces to suppressing aggregation of graphene sheets but also acts as a more efficient cure-activator in vulcanization process, with the formation of excellent crosslinked network at low nano-ZnO–GE content. This work also showed that NR/Nano-ZnO–GE nanocomposites exhibited higher wet grip property and lower rolling resistance compared with NR/Conventional-ZnO composite, which makes nano-ZnO–GE very competitive for the green tire application as a substitute of conventional-ZnO, enlarging versatile practical application to prepare high-performance rubber nanocomposites.