Recovered Carbon Black Filler Improves the Properties of Chitosan 3-Dimensional Composites

The rapid growth in the use of carbon-based composites has resulted in the need to replace commercially available carbon materials with those from renewable and sustainable sources. In this work, recovered carbon black (rCB) from the waste tire was used for the preparation of 3-dimensional (3D) chitosan/carbon composites. The rCB was treated with acid (T-rCB) to modify its functionality. By varying the percentage of T-rCB, the 3D-treated chitosan/carbon composites (C/T-rCB) were prepared via a free-drying method. The rCB sample is shown to be agglomerated and undispersed while the T-rCB could disperse homogeneously and is stable in water. The Raman bands at T-rCB had weaker intensities and thus the I_D/I_G area was less than rCB. The incorporation of T-rCB in chitosan composite shows a good interaction through the ‒CONH– bond. The increment of T-rCB in the composite was able to increase the water uptake and water retention abilities. The addition of T-rCB has resulted in improved tensile strength, especially to the 0.03 C/T-rCB. It was found the 3D composite samples were fibrous and porous.