Hexagonal-Boron-Nitride-Reinforced Butyl/Chloroprene Rubber Composites for Tire Curing Bladder Applications


Cetin B., Calisir M. D., Kılıç A., Shyha I.

POLYMERS, cilt.18, sa.9, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 18 Sayı: 9
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/polym18091112
  • Dergi Adı: POLYMERS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study investigates a thermal management strategy for butyl/chloroprene rubber (IIR/CR) bladder compounds by incorporating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a thermally conductive filler to enhance heat transfer efficiency. Compounds containing 0, 10, 25, and 33 wt% h-BN were prepared via solution mixing to ensure uniform dispersion and subsequently vulcanized using a hot press. The materials were characterized in terms of morphology, cure behavior using a moving die rheometer (MDR), thermal conductivity, crosslink density, mechanical properties, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The incorporation of h-BN significantly enhanced thermal performance, nearly doubling the thermal conductivity at 33 wt%. MDR measurements demonstrated that this improved heat transfer capability accelerated the thermal onset of vulcanization, effectively reducing scorch time. Mechanical testing revealed a systematic increase in stiffness at application-relevant low strain levels (25-50%), attributed to hydrodynamic reinforcement, accompanied by a progressive increase in elongation at break. This enhanced extensibility is associated with the presence of lamellar h-BN platelets, which facilitate stress redistribution and promote dynamic chain mobility under deformation. DMA showed that h-BN incorporation increased the storage modulus and intensified the Payne effect, confirming the formation of a robust physical filler network. Overall, the incorporation of h-BN delivers a formulation pathway for energy-efficient tire curing bladders by significantly improving heat transfer efficiency and dimensional stability.