Boosted Chemical Protective Properties Using Interface Constructed between Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene and Natural Rubber

Rubbers are extensively applied in chemical protective clothing (CPC) due to their eye-catching anti-penetration of chemicals. However, their impermeability, particularly that of natural rubber (NR), is unsatisfactory. In this work, we demonstrate the facile construction of Ti<sub>3</sub>...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Qinyu Chen, Min Zhang, Xiaopeng Li, Chuan Zhou, Guang Yang, Heguo Li, Xiaohui Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/21/4260
Description
Summary:Rubbers are extensively applied in chemical protective clothing (CPC) due to their eye-catching anti-penetration of chemicals. However, their impermeability, particularly that of natural rubber (NR), is unsatisfactory. In this work, we demonstrate the facile construction of Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene/NR interface using a plant-scale and feasible method combining latex mixing, emulsion flocculation, and flat-plate vulcanisation. The above crafts achieved a homogeneous dispersion of Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene in the NR matrix in a single layer, thereby constructing a strong interfacial interaction between Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene and NR, which induced the formation of a robust three-dimensional (3D) network in the composite. The anti-swelling capacity of the 3D cross-linked network structure and the layered structure of Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene effectively prolonged the permeation path of toxic chemicals. Compared with pure NR, the nanocomposite with 1 wt% of Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene showed substantially enhanced breakthrough times of toluene, dichloromethane, and concentrated sulfuric acid (increased by 140%, 178.6%, and 92.5%, respectively). Furthermore, its tensile strength, elongation at break, and shore hardness increased by 7.847 MPa, 194%, and 12 HA, respectively. Taken together with the satisfactory anti-permeability, tensile strength, elongation at break, and shore hardness, the resulting Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene/NR nanocomposites hold promise for application to long-term and high-strength CPC in the chemical industry and military fields.
ISSN:2073-4360