Compounding Clay Gel Into Hydrophilically Treated Styrene‐Butadiene Rubber to Obtain High‐Performance Rubber/Clay Nanocomposites

ABSTRACT Styrene‐butadiene rubber/[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethyl ammonium chloride/clay nanocomposites (SBR/METAC/clay NCs) were obtained via a novel strategy combining a gel compounding approach and hydrophilic modification of the matrix. The influences of METAC‐induced hydrophilic modification, clay loading, and composite fabrication methodology on the mechanical performances and microstructural characteristics of SBR/clay NCs were systematically investigated. SBR/METAC/clay NC showed a good filler dispersion, and there existed a clay intercalation structure when the ratio of clay to METAC was low. At a clay loading of 30 phr, the SBR/METAC/clay NCs exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 17.6 MPa, representing a tenfold enhancement compared to pure SBR. The interface interaction research revealed the reinforcement mechanism: METAC builds a bridge of clay‐SBR interaction by co‐crosslinking with SBR and interacting with clay by electrostatic interaction, and promotes more SBR macromolecular chains to anchor to clay, which significantly improves the mechanical performances of SBR/METAC/clay NCs. Benefiting from the excellent exfoliation and dispersion of clay layers within the SBR matrix, coupled with their inherent 2D lamellar structure, SBR/METAC/clay NCs are anticipated to find applications in areas such as barrier properties against gases or liquids.