• Effect of Nanoclay and Alumina Trihydrate on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Fire Resistance Properties of Natural Rubber for an Eco-friendly Conveyor Belt Cover Compound
  • Mohan Soundarajan*, **,† and Kothandaraman Balasubramanian**,†

  • *R&D Centre, Thejo Engineering Ltd, Ponneri, Chennai-600 067, Tamil Nadu, India
    **Department of Rubber and Plastic Technology, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

  • 나노점토와 알루미나 삼수화물이 친환경 컨베이어 벨트 커버 컴파운드용 천연 고무의 기계적, 열적 및 내화성 특성에 미치는 영향
  • Reproduction, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form of any part of this publication is permitted only by written permission from the Polymer Society of Korea.

References
  • 1. Guo, X.; Liu, X.; Gardoni, P.; Glowacz, A.; Królczyk, G.; Incecik, A.; Li, Z. Machine Vision Based Damage Detection for Conveyor Belt Safety Using Fusion Knowledge Distillation, Alex. Eng. J., 2023, 71, 161-172.
  •  
  • 2. William, H. Pomroy and Annie M. Carigiet; Analysis of Underground Coal Mine Fire Incidents in the United States from 1978 through 1992. United States Bureau of Mines information circular 1995.
  •  
  • 3. Draganová, K.; Semrád, K.; Spodniak, M.; Cúttová, M. Innovative Analysis of the Physical-mechanical Properties of Airport Conveyor Belts. Transp. Res. Procedia, 2020, 51, 20-27.
  •  
  • 4. Bevington, C.; Williams, A. J.; Guider, C.; Baker, N. C.; Meyer, B.; Babich, M. A.; Robinson, S.; Jones, A.; Phillips, K. A. Development of a Flame Retardant and an Organohalogen Flame Retardant Chemical Inventory. Sci. Data 2022, 9, 295.
  •  
  • 5. Zhang, X.; Sühring, R.; Serodio, D.; Bonnell, M.; Sundin, N.; Diamond, M. L. Novel Flame Retardants: Estimating the Physical-chemical Properties and Environmental Fate of 94 Halogenated and Organophosphate PBDE Replacements. Chemosphere, 2016, 144, 2401-2407.
  •  
  • 6. Li, T. Y.; Ge, J. L.; Pei, J.; Bao, L. J.; Wu, C. C.; Zeng, E. Y. Emissions and Occupational Exposure Risk of Halogenated Flame Retardants from Primitive Recycling of E-Waste. Environ Sci. Technol. 2019, 5, 12495-12505.
  •  
  • 7. Oh, J.; Shibulal, G. S.; Mensah, B.; Ahn, D. U.; Kim, S. J.; Jeong, K. U.; Nah, C. Lifetime Prediction of Flame Retardant-filled Ethylene-propylene-diene-termonomer Rubber Compounds. Polym. Korea, 2015, 39, 795-800.
  •  
  • 8. Nah, C.; Oh, J.; Mensah, B.; Jeong, K.-U.; Ahn, D. U.; Kim, S.-J.; Lee, Y.; Nam, S.-H. Effects of Thermal Aging on Degradation Mechanism of Flame Retardant-filled Ethylene-propylene-diene Termonomer Compounds. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 132, 41324.
  •  
  • 9. Wan, L.; Deng, C.; Zhao, Z. Y.; Chen, H.; Wang, Y. Z. Flame Retardation of Natural Rubber: Strategy and Recent Progress. Polymers. 2020, 12, 429.
  •  
  • 10. Liangqing Lai, Jia Liu, Zhen Lv, Tianming Gao, Yongyue Luo, Recent advances for flame retardant rubber composites: Mini-review, Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 156-164, ISSN 2542-5048.
  •  
  • 11. Cho, B. H.; Hwang, I. R.; Lee, Y. S.; Jeong, J. M.; Son, K. J.; Nah, C. Enhancement of Flame Retardancy of Rubber Matrix Using Nanofillers. J. Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2008, 8, 5516-20.
  •  
  • 12. Chang, M.-K.; Hwang, S.-S.; Liu, S.-P. Flame Retardancy and Thermal Stability of Ethylene-vinyl Acetate Copolymer Nanocomposites with Alumina Trihydrate and Montmorillonite. J. Industrial Eng. Chem., 2014, 20, 1596-1601.
  •  
  • 13. Nie, Y.; Qu, L.; Huang, G.; Wang, X.; Weng, G.; Wu, J. Homogenization of Natural Rubber Network Induced by Nanoclay. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40324.
  •  
  • 14. Zhang, H.; Wang, Y.; Wu, Y.; Zhang, L.; Yang, J. Study on Flammability of Montmorillonite/StyreneButadiene Rubber (SBR) Nanocomposites. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2005, 97, 844-849.
  •  
  • 15. Sasikumar, S.; Sivaram, S. K.; Yadav, P. K.; Murugesan, S. Review on the Development of Natural Rubber/nanoclay Nanocomposites, In Micro and Nano Technologies, Nanoclay-Based Sustainable Materials. Elsevier, 2024, 77-89.
  •  
  • 16. He, S.; Xue, Y.; Lin, J.; Zhang, L.; Du, X.; Chen, L. Effect of Silane Coupling Agent on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Nano-dispersed Clay Filled Styrene Butadiene Rubber. Polym. Compos, 2014.
  •  
  • 17. Jia, Q.-X.; Wu, Y.-P.; Wang, Y.-Q.; Lu, M.; Yang, J.; Zhang, L.-Q. Organic Interfacial Tailoring of Styrene Butadiene Rubber–Clay Nanocomposites Prepared by Latex Compounding Method. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2007, 103, 1826-1833.
  •  
  • 18. Bandyopadhyay, A.; Thakur, V.; Pradhan, S.; Bhowmick, A. K. Nanoclay Distribution and Its Influence on the Mechanical Properties of Rubber Blends, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2010, 115, 1237-1246.
  •  
  • 19. López-Manchado, M. A.; Arroyo, M.; Herrero, B.; Biagiotti, J. Vulcanization Kinetics of Natural Rubber–organoclay Nanocomposites, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2003, 89, 1-15.
  •  
  • 20. Javier, C.-G.; Retsos, H.; Verdejo, R.; Toki, S.; Hsiao, B. S.; Giannelis, E. P.; López-Manchado, M. A. Effect of Nanoclay on Natural Rubber Microstructure. Macromolecules 2008, 41, 6763-6772.
  •  
  • 21. Azizli, M. J.; Ziaee, M.; Rezaeinia, S.; Seyfi, J.; Mansourian‐Tabaei, M.; Hoseinzadeh, M.; Azizli, M. H. Studying the Roles of Nanoclay and Blend Composition on the Improved Properties of Natural Rubber/chloroprene Composites, Polym. Compos. 2018, 39, 1562-1574.
  •  
  • 22. Lopattananon, N.; Tanglakwaraskul, S.; Kaesaman, A.; Seadan, M.; Sakai, T. Effect of Nanoclay Addition on Morphology and Elastomeric Properties of Dynamically Vulcanized Natural Rubber/Polypropylene Nanocomposites. Int. Polym. Process. 2014, 29, 332-341.
  •  
  • 23. Rao, V. S.; Yadav, V.; Kumar, V. K.; Chand, N. Combined Effect of Nanoclay and Alumina Addition on Structure, TGA, DMA Characteristics of Nanoclay, and Alumina-filled Polypropylene Nanocomposites. J. Thermoplastic Compos. Mater. 2011, 25, 851-863.
  •  
  • 24. Malik, N.; Kumar, P.; Ghosh, S. B.; Shrivastava, S. Organically Modified Nanoclay and Aluminum Hydroxide Incorporated Bionanocomposites towards Enhancement of Physico-mechanical and Thermal Properties of Lignocellulosic Structural Reinforcement. J. Polym. Environ. 2018, 26, 3243-3249.
  •  
  • 25. Mohan, T. P.; Kuriakose, J.; Kanny, K. Effect of Nanoclay Reinforcement on Structure, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Natural Rubber–styrene Butadine Rubber (NR–SBR). J. Industrial Eng. Chem., 2011, 17, 264-270.
  •  
  • 26. Liu, Y.; Li, L.; Wang, Q. Effect of Carbon Black/nanoclay Hybrid Filler on the Dynamic Properties of Natural Rubber Vulcanizates. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2010, 118, 1111-1120.
  •  
  • 27. Dharmaraj, M. M.; Chakraborty, B. C.; Begum, S.; Natarajan, R.; Chandramohan, S. Effect of Nanoclay Reinforcing Filler in Nitrile Rubber/polyvinyl Chloride Blend: Frequency Response of Dynamic Viscoelasticity and Vibration Damping. Iran Polym. J. 2022, 31, 1247-1261.
  •  
  • 28. Yahaya, L. E.; Adebowale, K. O.; Menon, A. R. R. Mechanical Properties of Organomodified Kaolin/natural Rubber Vulcanizates. Appl. Clay Sci., 2009, 46, 283-288.
  •  
  • 29. Wang, Y.; Zhang, H.; Wu, Y.; Yang, J.; Zhang, L. Preparation and Properties of Natural Rubber/rectorite Nanocomposites. Europ. Polym. J. 2005, 41, 2776-2783.
  •  
  • 30. Sun, Y.; Luo, Y.; Jia, D. Preparation and Properties of Natural Rubber Nanocomposites with Solid-state Organomodified Montmorillonite. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2008, 107, 2786-2792.
  •  
  • 31. Doğan, Mehmet & Oral, Demet & Yılmaz, Betül & Savu, Melih & Karahan, Selçuk & Bayramlı, Erdal. Physical Properties and Cure Characteristics of Natural Rubber/Nanoclay Composites with Two Different Compatibilizers. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2011, 121, 1530-1535.
  •  
  • 32. Younis, A. A.; El-Wakil, A. A. Improvement of Mechanical and Flame Retardant Properties of Natural Rubber by Eco-friendly Watermelon Peel and Crumb Rubber. Fibers Polym. 2021, 22, 1237-1246.
  •  
  • 33. Cheng, K.-C.; Yu, C.-B.; Guo, W.; Wang, S.-F.; Chuang, T.-H.; Lin, Y.-H. Thermal Properties and Flammability of Polylactide Nanocomposites with Aluminum Trihydrate and Organoclay. Carbohyd. Polym. 2012, 87, 1119-1123.
  •  
  • 34. Redaoui, D.; Sahnoune, F.; Heraiz, M.; Raghdi, A. Mechanism and Kinetic Parameters of the Thermal Decomposition of Gibbsite Al(OH)3 by Thermogravimetric Analysis, 6th International Congress & Exhibition (APMAS2016), Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey, June 1–3, 2016.
  •  
  • 35. Sajna, V. P.; Mohanty, S.; Nayak, S. K. A Study on Thermal Degradation Kinetics and Flammability Properties of Poly (lactic acid)/Banana Fiber/Nanoclay Hybrid Bionanocomposites. Polym. Compos., 2017, 38, 2067-2079.
  •  
  • 36. Aboulkas, A.; El harfi, K.; El Bouadili, A. Thermal Degradation Behaviors of Polyethylene and Polypropylene. Part I: Pyrolysis kinetics and mechanisms.
  •  
  • 37. He, Canzhong, Wang, Yueqiang, Luo, Yongyue, Kong, Lingxue and Peng, Zheng. Thermal Degradation Kinetics and Mechanism of Epoxidized Natural Rubber. J. Polym. Eng., 2013, 33, 331-335.
  •  
  • 38. Lucie Tibiletti, Claire Longuet, Laurent Ferry, Philippe Coutelen, André Mas, Jean-Jacques Robin, José-Marie Lopez-Cuesta, Thermal Degradation and Fire Behaviour of Unsaturated Polyesters Filled with Metallic Oxides, Polym. Degradation and Stability 2011, 96, 67-75.
  •  
  • Polymer(Korea) 폴리머
  • Frequency : Bimonthly(odd)
    ISSN 2234-8077(Online)
    Abbr. Polym. Korea
  • 2024 Impact Factor : 0.6
  • Indexed in SCIE

This Article

  • 2026; 50(3): 410-422

    Published online May 25, 2026

  • 10.7317/pk.2026.50.3.410
  • Received on Jul 23, 2025
  • Revised on Mar 2, 2026
  • Accepted on Mar 4, 2026

Correspondence to

  • Mohan Soundarajan*, **, Kothandaraman Balasubramanian**
  • *R&D Centre, Thejo Engineering Ltd, Ponneri, Chennai-600 067, Tamil Nadu, India
    **Department of Rubber and Plastic Technology, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

  • E-mail: mohansoundarajan86@gmail.com, bkraman@mitindia.edu