Tailoring Natural Rubber Composites Via Surface-Modified Nanocellulose Whiskers with Sodium Isopropyl Xanthate: Characterization and Performance Analysis

The surface modification of nanocellulose whiskers is vital for improving the compatibility between hydrophilic nanocellulose whiskers (NCW) and hydrophobic natural rubber (NR). In this study, we surface-modified Acacia caesia-derived nanocellulose whiskers using an eco-friendly ball milling method with sodium isopropyl xanthate, a vulcanization accelerator. The resulting sodium isopropyl xanthate (SX)-modified nanocellulose whiskers were comprehensively characterized using various analyses. Incorporating 2 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of SX-modified NCW significantly enhanced tensile strength by 27