Research on foamed nitrile rubber (NBR)/cellulose nanocrystals (CNs) nanocomposites is rarely found in
the
literatures.
In
this
paper,
CNs
suspension
and
NBR
latex
was
mixed
to
prepared
the
foamed
NBR/CNs
nanocomposites.
We
found
that
the
CNs
mainly
located
in
the
cell
walls,
effectively
reinforcing
the
foamed
NBR. The strong interaction between the CNs and NBR matrix restricted the mobility of NBR chains
surrounding
the
CNs,
hence
increasing
the
crosslink
density
of
the
NBR
matrix.
CNs
exhibited
excellent
reinforcement on the foamed NBR: a remarkable increase nearly 76% in the tensile strength of the foamed
nanocomposites was achieved with a load of only 15 phr CNs. Enhanced mechanical properties make
the foamed NBR/CNs nanocomposites a promising damping material for industrial applications with a
potential to reduce the petroleum consumption.