In the present study, the suitability of various chemical treatments to improve the performance of jute fibers (JFs) filled natural rubber (NR) composites was explored. The surface of JFs was modified by three different surface treatments, namely, alkali treatment, combined alkali/stearic acid treatment and combined alkali/silane treatment. Surface modified JFs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The reinforcing effect of untreated and surface treated JFs in NR composites was comparatively evaluated in terms of cure, mechanical, morphological and thermal properties. Combined alkali/silane treated JFs filled NR composite showed considerably higher torque difference, tensile modulus, hardness and tensile strength as compared to either untreated or other surface treated JFs filled NR systems. A crosslink density measurement suggested effective rubber-fibers interaction in combined alkali/silane treated JFs filled NR composite. Morphological analysis confirmed the improvement in the interfacial bonding between NR matrix and JFs due to combined alkali/silane treatment allowing an efficient “stress-transfer” mechanism. As a whole, combined alkali/silane treatment was found to be most efficient surface treatment method to develop strong interfacial adhesion between NR matrix and JFs.

Presently, the development of high-performance filled rubber composites offers a new era in the industrial field of polymer research. This article reviews the utilization of various reinforcement modifiers on the successive property enhancement of rubber composites containing different commonly used fillers like silica, nanoclay, carbon nanotube, natural fibers, and so on. The practical importance of reinforcement modifiers in rubber technology is systematically described in the light of filler dispersion, processing, and mechanical properties of filled rubber compounds. A special emphasis is given on the mechanism of interaction between reinforcement modifiers and filler surface in filled rubber composites. Filler dispersion in the rubber matrix is the key parameter that controls the ultimate performance and rubber–filler interaction of filled rubber system. The use of some fixed reinforcement modifiers is an innovative way not only to solve the dispersion problem of filler particles but also to increase the reinforcing ability of most of the fillers in filled rubber products. Thus, the concept of reinforcement modifiers has the potential to facilitate further development of filler reinforcement technology for rubber-based composite materials.

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