Improving the thermal properties of fluoroelastomer (Viton GF 600S) using carbon nanotube
Abstract Nanocomposites were prepared using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the formulations of fluoroelastomer (FE) Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results revealed that CNT improved the thermal properties of FE, resulting in higher amount of FE and char remaining within the temperature range of 520 900 degC, relative to unfilled FE and carbon black (CB) filled FE. The same results also revealed that more percentage of FE was undegraded or less degraded especially near CNT. Energy dispersive X ray (EDX) results indicated that the percentage of carbon and fluorine in the residue of TGA scans up to 560 degC of CNT filled FE (CNT/FE) were higher compared to the CB filled FE (CB/FE) and CB/FE was higher than FE. EDX results of TGA residue (run up to 900 degC) showed that most of the undegraded FE which was not degraded at temperatures below 560 degC was degraded from 560 degC to 900 degC in both CNT/FE and CB/FE, with the char in CNT/FE being more than that in CB/FE. Residue of samples after TGA scans up to 900 degC indicated that, Zn did not undergo any reaction with CNT in the CNT/FE. In CB/FE, some percentage of ZnO reacted with carbon. EDX analysis of thermal aged specimens under air showed that with increasing aging time, more percentage of C, O, and F were lost from the surface of filler/FE and FE. The order of element loss is: CNT/FE FE CB/FE.