Effect of cobalt ferrite on curing and electromagnetic properties of natural rubber composites

The combination of cobalt ferrite and natural rubber has a potential to enhance the functional properties of rubber ferrite composites available on the market. In this study, cobalt ferrite was synthesized by the sol-gel method with tapioca starch as a cheating agent and then incorporated into natural rubber using an internal mixer. The curing characteristics, magnetic hysteresis, complex permeability, and permittivity of the rubber ferrite composites were studied as a function of the loading from 0 to 25 phr. The cure time and scorch time tended to reduce with the addition of non-reinforced cobalt ferrite fillers. The remanent and saturation magnetizations were linearly proportional to the cobalt ferrite loading, consistent with the rule of mixture. On the other hand, the increase in cobalt ferrite loading from 5 to 25 phr slightly affected the coercive field and the complex permeability. Using the maximum loading of 25 phr, both real and imaginary parts of the permittivity were significantly raised and reduced with the frequency in the 10-300 MHz range.