Excellent gas barrier property of reduced graphene oxide/nitrile butadiene rubber composite film with high reduced graphene oxide content

A reduced graphene oxide/nitrile butadiene rubber (rGO/NBR) composite membrane with high rGO content is prepared by combining electrostatic self-assembly and the vacuum filter method for application in gas barrier. In this process, GO induced the formation of chemical cross-links in NBR in the absence of vulcanization additives, which increased the cross-link density of the rGO/NBR composite film, and at the same time enhanced the interfacial interactions between the rGO and NBR matrix. The rGO/NBR composite film possesses an intra-layer isolation network and an inter-layer orientation structure. The resultant rGO/NBR composites with 40 wt% rGO loading exhibit a dramatically low gas permeability coefficient of 5.87 × 10 −17 cm 3 cm/cm 2 s 1 Pa 1 , which is reduced by 96.5% compared to the pure NBR. Furthermore, the gas barrier performance of the rGO/NBR composite membrane exhibits favorable thermal stability, in which the permeability coefficient changes very little at 65°C. These good performances are attributed to the dual network structure and strong interface interaction of the rGO/NBR composites. This work provides a new insight into the design and preparation of rGO/rubber composites with high rGO content for various applications. Highlights A high-performance rGO/NBR composite with high rGO content was prepared. It shows a dramatically low gas permeability coefficient. It exhibits good thermal stability for gas barrier properties.