Mechanical and tribological properties of nitrile rubber filled with modified molybdenum disulphide

In this work, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), silane coupling agent (KH570) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used to modify the surface property of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2). MoS2/nitrile rubber (NBR) composites were directly prepared by mechanical blending. Meanwhile, the effects of loading content of MoS2, the kinds of modifiers on the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites were evaluated. The dispersion of fillers in rubber matrix and the worn surface of the composites were analysed by SEM. Results showed that the properties of MoS2/NBR composites prepared by CTAB modified MoS2 were superior to that of KH570 or PEG modified MoS2 and unmodified MoS2 because of strong opposite charges attraction between cetyl trimethyl ammonium cation and MoS2 surface. When adding 10 phr CTAB modified MoS2 in rubber matrix, the dispersion of filler was optimum, and the coefficient of friction of composite was the lowest in the prepared composites.