Improvement of Stress Transfer in short Pineapple Leaf Fiber reinforced Nitrile Rubber

This work demonstrates a highly efficient method for the improvement of stress transfer in acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) hybrid composites reinforced with short pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) by adding carbon black and using a specific mixing method. PALF-filled rubber was prepared as a masterbatch, use of which improved the final dispersion. Carbon black was added to the rubber compound either as a single portion in the main mixing step or in two separate portions, i.e. one in the PALF masterbatch and the other in the main mixing step. The most efficient mixing method is to use a PALF masterbatch containing carbon black The prepared composites display high stress at low strains. Stress upturn also occurs at low strains. A structural model accounting for this effect is proposed.