Natural Rubber and Reclaimed Rubber CompositesâA Systematic Review

Abstract

This paper is a review on the tensile, curing, viscoelastic, morphology and thermal properties of natural fiber reinforced rubber composites and reclaimed rubber. Natural fibers have lately become attractive to researchers, engineers and scientists as another reinforcement for fiber reinforced polymer composites. Owing to their low cost, fairly good mechanical properties, and high specific strength, non-abrasiveness, eco-friendly and bio-degradability characteristics. They are exploited as a replacement for the conventional fibers, such as glass, aramid and carbon. The tensile properties of natural fiber reinforce polymers (both thermoplastics and thermosets) are mainly influenced by the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the fibers. Several chemical modifications are employed to improve the interfacial matrix–fiber bonding resulting in the enhancement of tensile properties of the composites. In all polymers, natural rubber received a growing attention due to mainly abundance and applications in rubber industries. Given the environmental problems as a results of industrial waste, recent studies seemed to have focused more into reclaimed rubber and recycling thereof, which is dominated by end-of-life-tires. This review would cover the aspects of reclaimed rubber as well, which is the rubber recovered from de-vulcanization of a wasted rubber