Mechanical properties of polybutadiene reinforced with octadecylamine modified graphene oxide

Octadecylamine-modified graphene-oxide (OMGO) polybutadiene nanocomposites with different OMGO loadings were prepared by solution mixing. The dispersion of OMGO in chloroform is greatly improved compared to GO. Toughness and elongation of PBD–OMGO nanocomposites increase by 332% and 191% respectively compared with pure PBD. However, Youngʹs modulus of PBD–OMGO nanocomposite decreases by 10% at 2-wt% loading. Graphene sheet crumpling accounts for the increased toughness, the absence of modulus reinforcement and the absence of a Payne effect for PBD–OMGO. The oxidation susceptibility of PBD is greatly reduced after the addition of OMGO, which is particularly desirable in the tire industry.