Adhesion of RFL-coated aramid fibres to elastomers: The role of elastomer–latex compatibility

The performance of fibre-reinforced composites is strongly dependent on the nature and the strength of the fibre–matrix interface. Good interfacial bonding is required to ensure load transfer from matrix to reinforcing fibres. For rubber-reinforced composites, resorcinol formaldehyde latex (RFL) is known as a fibre surface coating which is able to provide good adhesion between rubber and fibres. In the present study, aramid fibres are investigated, because of their significantly higher modulus and strength, compared to other commercial fibres. Their adhesion after being coated with RFL, in compounds based on natural rubber (NR) and in NR blended with a small amount of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) is investigated. It is shown that though having very similar tensile properties, the latter compound has much better adhesion to RFL which is also less sensitive to RFL ageing, compared to the pure NR compound. It is argued that an interphase region is formed between RFL and the elastomer, which is stronger for the compound containing SBR due to its enhanced compatibility with the latex part of the RFL.