The Influence of Aluminosilicate Cenospheres on the Structure and Properties of Elastomeric Composite Materials Based on Ethylene–Propylene–Diene Elastomers

Abstract

The effect of different concentrations of fly ash aluminosilicate cenospheres on the structure and properties of elastomeric composites is studied. Composite materials based on ethylene–propylene–diene rubber (EPDM-40) with different mass fractions of fly ash (10, 20, 30%) are obtained using laboratory rollers. The microstructure of mixtures of EPDM and aluminosilicate cenospheres is studied by optical microscopy. It is shown that the concentration of the filler of more than 30 wt % increases the concentration of larger cenosphere agglomerates in the structure, which indicates interfacial separation in the mixtures, which is probably associated with the fact that mechanical mixing on mixing equipment does not make it possible to achieve uniform distribution of the filler throughout the elastomeric matrix. The appearance of new absorption bands in the region of 1400–800 cm^–1 that correspond to the stretching vibrations of Si–O–Si present in aluminosilicate cenospheres is detected in the IR spectra. According to the thermogravimetry data of the compositions under study, the introduction of aluminosilicate cenospheres promotes a slight increase in the thermal stability of the composition under study with the concentration of cenospheres of more than 30%. The influence of the concentration of aluminosilicate cenospheres on the resistance of the composites to aggressive media is analyzed, and it is found that the introduction of a cenosphere filler in the amount of 10 to 30 wt % into mixtures based on EPDM can increase the oil and petrol resistance of the materials.