The Effect of Graphene Ultrasonic Coating on Recycled Rubber

Abstract

Herein, the mechanical behavior of a graphene-recycled rubber compound is investigated by performing static and dynamic tests. Water-based graphene suspension is deposited on recycled rubber pads via an electrostatic addition process. Results on tensile and compression tests indicate a significant improvement of the compound in strength and in damping. They also indicate that the compound experiences significant elongation (up to 500%) as well as withstands high tensile forces, 300% greater than the force that the recycled rubber mix would withstand. The effective compression modulus of the compound is also shown to increase by about 3.2 times at 10% strain with respect to the one for the recycled rubber mix. Results suggest that the graphene-recycled rubber compound can deliver a sustainable solution for vibration mitigation applications.