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ORIGINAL PAPER

The mechanical and thermal properties of KH590‑basalt fibre‑reinforced silicone rubber/fluorine rubber composites Weili Wu1   · Bowen Yu1 Received: 26 December 2019 / Accepted: 6 August 2020 © The Malaysian Rubber Board 2020

Abstract Chopped basalt fibre (BF)-reinforced silicone rubber/fluorine rubber composites were investigated to improve their mechanical and thermal properties, in which the blend of silicone rubber (MVQ) and fluorine rubber (FKM) was used as a matrix of the composites, the BF was used as a reinforcement, and the coupling agents of KH550 (3-amino propyltriethoxysilane), KH590 (3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane) and Si69 (bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfane) were used as the compatibiliser. The effect of length and content of the BF, and the type of coupling agent on the mechanical properties of composites were discussed. The results confirm that the mechanical and thermal properties of the KH590-BF/MVQ/FKM composites were optimal when the BF was 7 phr (parts per hundred rubber) with a length of 12 mm, and treated with coupling agent KH590 of 2.0 phr. Further compatibility between the BF and MVQ/FKM was optimum. The glass transition temperature (Tg) reduced from − 19.2 °C to − 28.0 °C, while the application range of KH590-BF/MVQ/FKM composites was widened. Keywords  Basalt fibre · Fluorine rubber · Mechanical properties · Thermal properties

Introduction In recent years, with developments in the automobile, machinery, aviation, aerospace and chemical industries, the demand for rubber products has increased. Standard rubber is unable to meet the requirements of high–low-temperature resistance. Fluorine rubber (FKM) has outstanding properties in high-temperature [1], oil and corrosion resistance [2, 3]. Silicone rubber (MVQ) is good with high–low-temperature resistance [4–6], so the MVQ/FKM blends with both advantages of FKM and MVQ were prepared by combining the two kinds of rubbers [7–9] as their applications are increasing gradually [10, 11]. However, the high elasticity MVQ / FKM blend is relatively difficult for moulding [12], and easily deformed [13, 14], resulting in poor dimensional stability of the products, so its performance does not meet the requirements [15, 16]. At present, rubbers are usually reinforced by filling glass fibre and carbon fibre [17–19]. However, with glass fibre there exists fatal problems [20], as it contains a carcinogen and therefore is less conducive

to the physical and mental health of workers [21–23], while carbon fibre is too expensive for wide application [24]. In this work, the chopped basalt fibre (BF) as a reinforcement, which is similar to the glass fibre in structure and properties, was used to reinforce MVQ/FKM. It would increase the dimensional stability and the mechanical properties of MVQ/FKM. However, the BF could not fully combine with the MVQ/FKM being an inorganic material with SiO [25], resulting in poor compatibility between BF and rubber. So a coupling agent was introduced on the surfaces of BF and rubber [26], and hence, B