Graphene composites for solvent-resistant rubber compounds

This will be done through the addition of graphene flakes, graphene oxide (GO) or reduced GO and combinations between these 2D materials and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), improving the carbon black used today to improve mechanical properties and lower the price. The high aspect ratio shape of the graphene sheets, which are evenly and parallel distributed in the rubber matrix, should create a more tortuous path for small molecules to navigate through rubber, greatly increasing solvent resistivity.

We will also investigate the effect of graphene on the abrasion resistance of the material. These improved material properties with graphene would make it possible to use thinner and more durable rubber materials for the same applications and would increase the competitiveness of Trelleborg, representing the Swedish rubber industry, and open a new market for 2D Fab, representing the Swedish graphene industry.