Epoxidized Natural Rubber as a Compatibilizer in Chlorosulfonated PE/Organoclay Nanocomposites

The influences of organoclay (OMMT) and also epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) as a compatibilizer on properties of chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) were scrutinized by loading different nanofiller amounts to the polymeric matrix. The tensile strength and elongation at break of nanocomposites went through a maximum as a function of the organoclay content. Furthermore, swelling properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. When the OMMT content was 6 phr and ENR 50 was used, the nanocomposites showed excellent tensile properties, which was attributed to nanometer-scale dispersion. The introduction of a small amount of OMMT also improved the swelling behavior, which was attributed to the excellent interaction between nanoparticles and polymer matrix.