Highly Conducting, Sustainable, Nanographitic Rubber Composites

Environmentally friendly multifunctional rubber composites are reported. Graphitic nanocarbon (NC) deriving from cracking of biogas (methane/carbon dioxide) and natural rubber extracted directly from the Hevea brasiliensis tree are the two components of these composites produced via latex technology. While maintaining and enhancing the intrinsic thermal and mechanical characteristics of rubber, the presence of NC shows a significant improvement on the electrical response. For a 10 wt % NC content, a 1010-fold increase in conductivity has been achieved with a conductivity value of 7.5 S·m–1, placing these composites among the best obtained using other carbon fillers. In addition, the piezoresistive behavior has also been verified. These promising green composites have a potential use in a variety of applications such as sealing of electronic devices and sensors.