Mechanical Performance Enhancement of EPDM Rubber Nanocomposites Reinforced with Graphene, Carbon Nanotubes, and Silica for Industrial Diaphragm Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21910721Keywords:
Rubber Composites, EPDM, Experimental Tests, Nanoparticles, Mechanical PropertiesAbstract
Ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM, is a rubber used in several industrial applications. In pipes for sealing water or for rotating equipment, the same can be said of thermal and electrical insulation. EPDM is not only tough and adaptable but also has many applications. Natural sunlight and ozone both harm it, making it brittle over time, but some rubbers, like EPDM, are made for toughness and can withstand a variety of harsh situations. EPDM rubber composites reinforced with three different kinds of reinforcement nanoparticles are employed in the manufacturing of rubber diaphragms. The combined use of analytical, numerical, and statistical methods provides a comprehensive framework for predicting and validating the mechanical performance of EPDM nanocomposites. Based on this, the estimated mechanical properties of Graphene nanoparticles yielded higher values than those of carbon nanotubes and Silica nanoparticles, respectively. Moreover, both CNT and Graphene showed the maximum tensile modulus, impact strength, and fatigue life, while the tensile modulus at 5 wt% increased from 3.5 MPa to above 7 MPa. The coefficient of determination (R²) values remain close to unity, providing strong evidence of a positive correlation between experimental measurements and model predictions. This confirms that the model successfully captures the underlying material behavior and the influence of nanofiller content.
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