Research Projects

Carbon black (CB) has been used as a reinforcing filler in the tire industry for ten times longer service life, but it has several disadvantages, including depletion of petroleum reserves, increased greenhouse gas concentrations, and global warming. To address these issues, rubber scientists are exploring non-petroleum-based renewable fillers in rubber technology. Plant-based nanocellulose has been chosen as a promising alternative, but its hydrophilicity is a significant issue. Compatibility with the hydrophobic rubber matrix has been explored, with the addition of compatibilizers and surface modification being a promising strategy. Bacterial cellulose (BC), a natural nanomaterial produced by some bacteria, has a high degree of crystallinity, purity, and unique structure. However, there are no reports on the efficacy of BC as a nanofiller for preparing rubber nanocomposites. The main focus of this proposal is to prepare BC-hydrophobic natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites with superior physico-mechanical properties. The unmodified hydrophilic BC containing -OH groups cannot establish strong interfacial interaction with the hydrophobic NR matrix. To increase interfacial interaction, BC will be surface modified with functional groups, which can interact with the NR chains via covalent conjugation, leading to an extraordinary improvement in the overall physico-mechanical properties of the rubber nanocomposites.