Hyperelastic behavior and dynamic mechanical relaxation in carbon black-polymer composites

Tensile and thermo-mechanical properties of nano-composites fabricated by mechanically mixing semi-crystalline ethylene-co-butyl acrylate (EBA) and carbon black (CB) nanoparticles are investigated. Stress-strain curves performed on samples over a broad range of CB content evidence the hyperelastic behavior of the EBA matrix. Neo-Hookean and Mooney-Rivlin models are used to fit the observed linear and nonlinear mechanical behaviors, respectively. The thermo-mechanical curves highlight two relaxation phenomena depending on the CB content. Correspondingly, the EBA/CB interface properties are analyzed by correlating the volume fraction of the constrained polymer to the relaxation behavior of the viscoelastic linear regime. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3005-3011, 2019. (c) 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers