• Macromolecular Research
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.285-291
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• 2000

Influence of silane coupling agent, bis-(3-(triethoxisilyl)-propyl)-tetrassulfide, on cure characteristics and bound rubber content of filled styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) compounds and on physical properties of the vulcanizates was studied. Carbon black-filled and silica-filled compounds were compared. Content of the bound rubber increased with increased content of the silane coupling agent and this trend was shown more clearly in the silica-filled compounds. Optimum cure time of the carbon black-filled compound increased with increase of the silane content, while that of the silica-filled one decreased. Cure rate of the carbon black-filled compound became slower as the silane content increased while that of the silica-filled one became faster. By increasing the silane content, the minimum torque decreased and the delta torque increased. Physical properties of the silica-filled vulcanizate were found to be improved by adding the silane coupling agent. However, for the carbon black-filled vulcanizates, the tensile strength and tear resistance decreased with increase of the silane content. The differences between the carbon black-filled and silica-filled compounds were explained by difference in the reactivities of the fillers with the silane.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2002

Silica-filled rubber compounds show poor filler dispersion and slow cure characteristics compared to carbon black-filled ones. In general, a silica-filled rubber compound contains silane coupling agent (bis-(3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl)-tetrasulfide, TESPT) and diphenylguanidine (DPG) to improve the filler dispersion and to make fast cure characteristics. Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) improves the filler dispersion in silica-filled styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) compounds. In this study, effect of NBR on the properties of silica-filled SBR compounds was investigated. Properties of the compounds which contain NBR without DPG or with small amount of TESPT (Compound A) were compared with those of the compounds which contain TESPT and DPG without NBR (Compound B). Scorch time of Compound A is faster than those of Compound B. Modulus and tensile strength of Comound A are slightly lower than those of Compound B. Traction property of the Comound A is better than that of the Compound B. Addition of NBR leads to reduction of the used amount of TESPT and DPG.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.274-280
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• 1998

Order of reaction, rate constant, activation energy for vulcanization reaction, crosslinking density, and elastic constant of the network produced by sulfur curing were investigated on the SBR/BR blends containing silica and carbon black under same cure system. The reaction order was shown to be first order regardless of filler types. The carbon black filled rubber compounds showed higher rate constant compared to silica filled compounds. But activation energy appeared to be same regardless of filler type and rubber blend ratio. The crosslinking density and elastic constant is higher in the carbon black filled compound compared to silica filled compounds because of strong interaction between rubber and carbon black. On the other hand, crosslinking density and elastic constant were decreased with increasing the butadine rubber content in rubber blends. From the comparison of combined sulfur content in the vulcanized rubber, sulfur content in the silica filled compound become constant 20min later after reaction initiates but sulfur content in the carbon black filled compound become constant 10min later after reaction starts. The silica compound has a longer induction time ($t_2$) and optimum cure time($t_{90}$) compared to those of the carbon black filled compound.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.223-233
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• 2021

In this study, epoxidized liquid isoprene rubber (E-LqIR) was used as a processing aid in a silica-filled natural rubber compound to improve the fuel efficiency, abrasion resistance, and oil migration problems of truck and bus radial tire tread. The wear resistance, fuel efficiency, and extraction resistance of the compound were evaluated according to the molecular weight of E-LqIR. Results of the evaluation showed that the E-LqIR compound had a lower chemical crosslink density than that of a treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) oil compound because of the sulfur consumption of E-LqIR. However, the filler-rubber interaction improved because of the reaction of E-LqIR with silica and crosslink with the base rubber by sulfur. As the molecular weight of E-LqIR increased, crosslink with sulfur was facilitated, and the filler-rubber interaction improved, resulting in improved abrasion resistance. The fuel efficiency performance of the E-LqIR compound was poorer than that of the TDAE oil compound because of the low chemical crosslink density and hysteresis loss at the free chain end of E-LqIR. However, the fuel efficiency performance improved as the molecular weight of E-LqIR increased.

• Rubber Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

Effects of silane modifier, bis(triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfide (TESPT(S4)) and bis(triethoxysilylpropyl) disulfide (TESPD(S2)), on silica filled compound were investigated upon processability, dynamic, mechanical, heat build-up, blowout properties, and silica dispersion in natural rubber (NR). The temperature of the S2 treated silica compound generated higher than that of the S4 treated compound during internal mixer compounding. The shear viscosity of the S2 compound exhibited lower than that of the S4 compound and the viscosity measured in dynamic mode was close to each other. The elongation modulus of the S2 compound exhibited lower than that of the S4; however, the tear resistance strength of the S2 compound exhibited higher than that of the S4 compound. The loss tan$\delta$ values of the S2 compound exhibited higher than those of the S4 at room temperature. The augmentation of the test temperature lowered the tan$\delta$ values of each compound, which results in close tan$\delta$ values to each other at $100^{\circ}C$. The S2 compound deformed less than the S4 compound, and the blowout time of each compound was close to each other. The S2 compound generated more heat build-up than the S4 compound. The abrasion loss of the S2 compound was less than that of the S4 compound. The size of the silica agglomerate reduced on both S4 and S2 compounds upon vulcanization. The addition of the bifunctional silanes (S2 and S4) on silica filled NR compound improved the processability of each compound and their effects were more significant on the S2 compound than the S4 compound. After vulcanization the silica agglomerate size of each compound reduced compared with before vulcanization.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.252-259
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• 2009

Bifunctional silane (TESPD) is added into silica filled SBR compound and its effects with respect to the vulcanization properties, the processability, and the physical properties are investigated. The addition of the TESPD into silica filled SBR compound increases the degree of crosslinking by formation of a strong 3-dimensional network structure with silica surface via coupling reaction, which results in an improved mechanical property. It also improves the processabilities compared to the Control compound.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.240-246
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• 2015

Formation of a strong 3-dimensional interfacial network structure via chemical reaction between hydroxyl group on silica surface and NR chain by the addition of bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide (TESPT) into silica-filled NR compound was observed by using Py-GC/MS and SEM. Addition of TESPT into silica-filled NR compound decreased scorch time ($t_{10}$) due to increased sulfur content, and reduced cure rate index (CRI) via continuous reaction between sulfur atoms in TESPT, which acted as a sulfur donor, and activators and/or accelerators. Addition of TESPT in the compound improved processability and mechanical properties of the compound. Overall, we observed that the addition of TESPT into the silica-filled NR compound formed a silica-TESPT-NR network, and thus the degree of crosslinking was increased resulting in improved mechanical properties.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.92-99
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• 2001

Silica-filled rubber compounds have slower cure characteristics than carbon black-filled ones due to the adsorption of curatives on the silica surface. Fatty acid was used as a cure activator along with zinc oxide in a sulfur cure system. Poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, was used in silica-filled rubber compounds to prevent adsorption of the curatives on the silica surface. In this study, influence of the size of fatty acid and PEG on properties of silica-filled NR compounds was investigated. It was found that the size of fatty acid and PEG affected the curt: characteristics and physical properties. The cure rate becomes faster as the PEG size increases. By increasing the size of fatty acid or PEG, the delta torque of the compound decreases while the Mooney viscosity increases. The modulus of the vulcanizate decreases with increasing the molecular weight of fatty acid or PEG. The experimental results were explained by the filler dispersion and by the prevention of the curative-adsorption on the silica surface.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2003

Influence of low molecular weight styrene-butadiene rubber (liquid SBR) on properties of a silica-filled styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) compounds was studied. Viscosity of the silica-filled SBR compound decreased by adding the liquid SBR. The crosslink density decreased and the cure rate became slower as the liquid SBR content increased. The modulus and tensile strength decreased while the elongation at break became longer by increasing the liquid SBR content. The abrasion losses were nearly the same irrespective of the liquid SBR content. This might be due to the improvement of silica dispersion by adding the liquid SBR. Considering the experimental results, it was believed that addition of small amount of the liquid SBR (less than 5 phr) was desirable to improve properties of silica-filled SBR compounds.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2019

The rapid development of the automobile industry is an important factor that led to the dramatic development of synthetic rubber. The tread part of tire that comes in direct contact with the road surface is related to the service life of the tire. Rubber compounds used in tire treads are often blended with SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) and BR (butadiene rubber) to satisfy physical property requirements. However, when two or more kinds of rubber are blended, phase separation and silica dispersion problems may occur due to non-uniform mixing of the rubber. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized an SBR copolymer with the same composition as that of a typical SBR/BR blend compound by controlling butadiene content during ESBR (emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber) synthesis. Subsequently, silica filled compounds were manufactured using the synthesized ESBR, and their mechanical properties, dynamic viscoelasticity, and crosslinking density were compared with those of the SBR/BR blended compound. When the content of butadiene was increased in the silica filled compound, the cure rate accelerated due to an increased number of allylic positions, which typically exhibit higher reactivity. However, the T-2 compound with increased butadiene content by synthesis less likely to show an increase in crosslink density due to poor silica dispersion. In addition, the T-3 compound containing high cis BR content showed high crosslink density due to its monosulfide crosslinking structure. Because of the phase separation, SBR/BR blend compounds were easily broken and showed similar $M_{100%}$ and $M_{300%}$ values as those of other compounds despite their high crosslink density. However, the developed blend showed excellent abrasion resistance due to the high cis-1,4 butadiene content and low rolling resistance due to the high crosslink density.