CaCO3 from seashells as a reinforcing filler for natural rubber

Abstract

Bio-composites, due to their sustainably renewable nature, have attracted considerable attention due to their low cost and bio-degradability. CaCO3 from seashells is a ‘green’ calcium carbonate that could enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of composites. The mixing of natural rubber (NR) with CaCO3 using melt blending enhanced the hardness and tensile strength of the composites. The glass transition temperature did not have a significant effect on the composites, while the composites with filler of 355 µm in size showed the highest melting point in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis.

Keywords

• natural rubber
• calcium carbonate
• seashells
• mechanical properties
• thermal properties