Silica-graphite filler was prepared via two-step grafting procedure by grafting silica particles onto the expanded graphite. In the first step, isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane was chemically introduced onto the silica aggregates, which was followed by grafting onto the expanded graphite via urethane linkage in the second step. Successful grafting of silica aggregates onto the graphite was corroborated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The presence of a thin graphene layer on silica aggregates corroborated using transmission electron microscopy confirmed the grafting of silica aggregates onto the graphite surface. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites with various silica-graphite loadings were prepared by melt processing technique to generate pristine silica and silica-graphite-filled elastomeric composites. Rheometric cure studies revealed that the torque difference (DS) increased with pristine silica loading, when compared to the unfilled SBR system, and this effect is more pronounced on loading silica-graphite filler. Improvements in mechanical properties such as modulus and tensile strength were observed with increasing loading of silica particles and this effect is more pronounced on loading silica-graphite fillers,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.