The aim of this study is to explore the impact of both gamma irradiation and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp NPs) on the performance of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber material (EPDM). HAp NPs capped with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) were prepared with a facile chemical co-precipitation method. EPDM/HAp nanocomposites with different concentrations of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as reinforcement nanofiller were achieved by a laboratory rubber roll mill apparatus and then subjected to ionizing radiation (gamma rays) at 50 kGy to examine the effect of the radiation dose. Nano-Filler characterization was achieved using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. TEM image revealed that the hydroxyapatite particles are set inside the scale of nanometers (a regular size of 20–30 nm). The mechanical, thermal, morphological, and automotive brake oil resistance properties of EPDM/HAp nanocomposites have been measured. The physicochemical properties of EPDM rubber was enriched using both HAp nanoparticles and gamma radiation. The various measurements have revealed that 3 phr synthesized HAp NPs filler content provided the best results for most of the properties studied. SEM results display a regular dispersion of nanofillers into EPDM matrix at lower concentration (3 phr), whereas the agglomerations have been brought into the EPDM matrix at 5 phr loading of HAp. The TS reduction percent due to brake oil immersion of irradiated samples of EPDM nanocomposites sequenced as follows: 10.3%, 6.0%, 3.8%, and 12.5% for EPDM, EPDM/HAp (1 phr), EPDM/HAp (3 phr), and EPDM/HAp (5 phr), respectively. Moreover, the irradiated samples were not affected obviously owing to the crosslinking network produced by irradiation and EPDM/HAp (3 phr) nanocomposite have the best oil resistance. These overall findings successfully demonstrated the prepared EPDM/HAp nanocomposites had enhanced physico-chemical properties and brake oil resistance which considered promising in automotive applications.
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