Locating a silane coupling agent in silica-filled rubber composites by EFTEM

A silane coupling agent (SA) was added to silica/rubber composites at different mixing temperatures and the formation of a coupling layer at the silica/rubber interface was investigated by energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy. Bis(triethoxysilypropyl)tetrasulfane (TESPT), which was used as the SA, reacted with the silanol groups on the silica surface and with styrene-butadiene rubber to form an interfacial coupling layer. The silicon and sulfur elemental distributions were analyzed by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and elemental mapping. The amount of TESPT trapped in the rubber matrix could be qualitatively estimated by EELS, and the in situ formed coupling layer could be characterized by elemental mapping. The result indicated that the formation of the coupling layer was affected by the mixing temperature. The technique described here will contribute to the study of interface-property relationships and the evaluation of the role of SAs in polymeric composites.     

Viscoelastic behaviour of silica filled natural rubber composites – Correlation of shear with elongational testing

Dynamic mechanical behaviour of natural rubber-silica composites was studied by a frequency sweep method at different temperatures (40 °C,70 °C and 100 °C) using a dynamic mechanical analyzer and a rotorless rheometer, RPA, in an attempt to establish a correlation between the two. The composites with silica content up to 40 phr were studied. It was found that the dependence of dynamic modulus on the frequency as obtained from both the instruments followed a similar trend. This suggests that the dynamic mechanical properties of rubber compounds can be determined even during curing. A correlation could be arrived at between the two sets of data, making it possible to predict one set knowing the other. The impact of silane coupling agent, bis (3-triethoxysilylpropyl tetrasulphide), TESPT, on viscoelasticity was also investigated. The mechanical properties were improved in the presence of TESPT. Additionally, an increase in thermal stability was also observed in the presence of TESPT. Scanning electron micrographs showed the better filler dispersion in the case of silane-coupled silica composites.     

Effect of fly ash silica and precipitated silica fillers on the viscosity,cure, and viscoelastic properties of natural rubber

The viscosity, cure properties, storage, and loss moduli and tan δ of natural rubber (NR) filled with the same amounts of precipitated silica (PSi) and fly ash silica (FASi) fillers were measured. The fillers were treated with bis[3‐triethoxysilylpropyl‐]tetrasulfide (TESPT), or, used in the rubber untreated. TESPT is a sulfur‐containing bi‐functional organosilane that chemically adheres silica to rubber and also prevents silica from interfering with the reaction mechanism of sulfur cure. The dispersion of PSi and FASi in the rubber was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effects of silica type and loading and surface treatment on the aforementioned properties were of interest. The SEM results showed that the FASi particles were larger in size and had a wider particle size distribution when compared with the PSi particles. The viscosity of the compounds decreased progressively with mixing time, and the compounds with FASi had a lower viscosity than those filled with PSi. The treatment with Si69 had no beneficial effect on the dispersion of the fillers in the rubber matrix. At low temperatures, the type and loading of the filler had no effect on the storage and loss moduli of the compounds, but the effect was more pronounced at high temperatures. There was also evidence from the tan δ and glass transition temperature (T_g) measurements that some limited interaction between the filler particles and rubber had occurred because of TESPT. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis of biological substances with surface-modified fused silica capillaries with switchable electroosmotic flow

A surface modification has been developed which yields fused silica capillaries with switchable electroosmotic flow (anodal/cathodal). The capillary surface is a composite material consisting of unreacted silanol groups, a layer of positively charged quaternary ammonium functions, and a hydrophilic layer of long polyether chains. Because of the presence of positively and negatively charged groups, the net charge of the capillary surface can be varied from positive to negative by changing the pH of the running electrolyte, thus enabling manipulation of the magnitude and direction of the electroosmotic flow. The long polyether chains were effective in shielding biomacromolecules from the charged inner surface of the capillary, thus minimizing electrostatic interaction of the solutes with both unreacted silanols and the quaternary ammonium groups which had been introduced. As a consequence, high separation efficiencies were achieved with proteins, nucleotides, and a series of acidic oligosaccharides.     

环氧天然橡胶接枝高分散白炭黑增强天然橡胶复合材料的制备及表征

基于白炭黑表面硅羟基与环氧基团的可反应性,利用Haake流变仪的高温高剪切作用,在170℃下,实现了环氧天然橡胶(ENR)对白炭黑的固态原位接枝,制备出一种高分散疏水型白炭黑.探讨了白炭黑和ENR的反应配比对增强性能的影响,确定合适的反应比例为3∶1.FTIR、TGA和TEM的分析结果证实了ENR被接枝到白炭黑表面上.对比研究了接枝前、后白炭黑对增强天然橡胶(NR)复合材料性能的影响,测试结果表明接枝白炭黑在天然橡胶中具有良好的分散性并能明显改善对天然橡胶的增强效果;接枝于白炭黑表面上的环氧天然橡胶分子玻璃化转变向高温偏移,使该复合材料在常温下具备优异力学性能的同时也体现出了高动态滞后的特点.     

A new method for crosslinking and reinforcing acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber using a silanized silica nanofiller

Using a high loading of synthetic precipitated amorphous white silica nanofiller, an acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber containing 26% by weight acrylonitrile was crosslinked and its mechanical properties were measured. The silica surfaces were pre‐treated with bis(3‐triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide (TESPT) to chemically adhere silica to the rubber. To optimize the reaction between the tetrasulfane groups of TESPT and the rubber, accelerator and activator were added. The rubber was fully crosslinked and the hardness, tensile strength, stored energy density at break, elongation at break, tearing energy, and modulus increased substantially because of the filler. The bound rubber, crosslink density, tan δ, and glass transition temperature measurements indicated a strong interaction between the filler and rubber. This new method helped to substantially reduce the use of the curing chemicals and produce a safer and more cost‐effective rubber compound without compromising the good mechanical properties of the rubber, which are essential for long service life. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

二氧化硅-硅油分散体系粘度的研究

不同结构或相同结构不同表面处理的二氧化硅,可用其硅油分散体在一定体积分数和特定剪切速率下测定的表观粘度来进行表征。从热老化前后分散体粘度变化的结果表明,二氧化硅表面羟基是引起硅氧烷降解的重要因素,硅烷化处理可改进在密闭条件下体系的热稳定性。     

Styrene butadiene rubber/carbon black composites modified by imidazole derivatives

In this study, the imidazole derivatives such as 2-undecylimidazole (UI) and 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole (MMI) are utilized to work as novel additives for modifying styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)/carbon black (CB) composites. The imidazole groups on UI and MMI can be hydrogen-bonded with oxygen-containing groups on the surface of CB, and the undecyl or thiol groups can be reacted with the SBR chains via physical entanglement or thiol-ene chemistry. The results demonstrate that the static and dynamic mechanical performances of SBR/UI and SBR/MMI composites are significantly improved over those of the SBR composite. Compared with blank SBR composite, the tensile strength, modulus at 300% elongation, and tear strength of SBR/MMI-1.0 are greatly improved by 30, 42, and 18%, respectively. The rolling resistance of SBR/MMI-1.0 is reduced by 10.4%, and the wet grip property is increased by 4.0%. The superiority of appropriate MMI content (1.0 phr in our work) in the enhancement for the overall performance of SBR composites is attributed to the promotion of a good dispersion of CB throughout the SBR matrix and the enhanced interfacial interactions between CB and the SBR matrix. This work may enlarge the potential applications of modified CB to fabricate high-performance rubber composites.     

Investigation of photo‐oxidative effect on morphology and degradation of mechanical and physical properties of nano CaCO3 silicone rubber composites

Photo‐oxidative degradation of treated and untreated nano CaCO₃: silicone rubber composite was studied under accelerated UV irradiation (≥290 nm) at different time intervals. Prolonged exposure to UV leads to a progressive decrease in mechanical and physical properties along with the change in behavior of filler‐matrix interaction. This was due to decrease in cross‐linking density with increase in mobility of rubber chains. Meanwhile, synthesized nano CaCO₃ was modified with stearic acid for uniform dispersion in rubber matrix. The increase in carbonyl (>CO), hydroxyl (? OH), CO₂, and alkene functional groups on the UV exposed surface of treated and untreated nano CaCO₃: silicone rubber composites at different time intervals was studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The change in morphological behavior of filler‐matrix interaction after UV exposure was studied using SEM. Overall, the study showed that the treated nano CaCO₃: silicone composites were affected more by UV exposure than untreated nano CaCO₃: silicone composites and pristine composite after UV exposure. This effect was due to peeling of stearic acid from the surface of CaCO₃, which makes the rubber chains slippery and thus separation of filler and rubber chains takes place with initiation of fast‐degradation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a nonpolar,chemically bonded stationary phase with low residual hydroxyl group content

Summary A microporous silica support, LiChrosorb Si-100, has been silanized with octyldimethylchlorosilane and octylmethyldichlorosilane. The repeatability of the silanization procedure was within about 2%. In general, these nonpolar modified silicas still contain too many residual hydroxyl groups, causing bifunctional behaviour of the adsorbent. A partial condensation of surface silanol groups at a drying temperature >200°C, prior to the chemical modification, decreases the residual hydroxyl group content. With respect to this residual polarity, monochlorosilanes appear to be effective. The concentration of bonded octyl chains remains virtually constant up to a drying temperature of 400°C. Owing to silanization, the specific surface decreases by 15–20%, whereas the pore volume decreases by 25%.     

Reprocessable and Easy Processing Silica Filled Brominated Isobutylene para Methyl Styrene (BIMS)

Without the use of any curatives, silica filled BIMS compounds can achieve tensile strength and bound rubber level close to conventional crosslinked elastomer compounds. This outstanding tensile performance of silica filled BIMS compounds results from the strong interaction between BIMS polymer and silica filler. Silica filled BIMS compounds can be reprocessed and still retain their high tensile strength performance. The good compatibility between BIMS and silica also leads to better filler dispersion and inhibition of filler-filler interaction. This in turn leads to the lower processing viscosity observed. We speculate that BIMS can interact with silica via nucleophilic substitution reaction between benzylic bromide of the polymer and surface silanol group of silica.     

Understanding the effect of filler shape induced immobilized rubber on the interfacial and mechanical strength of rubber composites

Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites with silica, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and montmorillonite (MMT) were prepared and the interfacial and mechanical properties were compared to understand the reinforcing behaviours of these fillers based on the results of SEM, DSC, DMA, etc. Due to the formation of interparticle domain, HNTs immobilized more rubber approaching their surface than silica and MMT. Interestingly, only tightly immobilized rubber chains made contribution to the enhancement of interfacial and mechanical strength of SBR composites. This was because the tightly immobilized rubber acted as a bridge in the filler-rubber interface and induced the formation of stretched rubber chains linked filler network when the composites were loaded in tension, while loosely immobilized rubber were easy to slip off from filler surface, causing the separation between filler and bulk rubber. Therefore, silica with more tightly immobilized rubber approaching its surface showed better reinforcing effect on rubber than HNTs and MMT.     

The versatile surface properties of poly(cyclopentadiene)-modified silica particles (PCPD–silica): XPS and electrokinetic studies

Surface properties of poly(cyclopentadiene)–silica hybrid particles (PCPD–silica) were studied by means of XPS and electrokinetic measurements. The surfaces of PCPD–silica particles exhibit two different areas with different properties: bare silica holes and PCPD patches. The PCPD chains contain different functional groups such as alcohol and carbonyl groups that were identified by XPS. The PCPD chains are grafted covalently onto the silica surface via Si–O–C bonds created by the reaction of silanol groups and active PCPD chains. The amount of Si–O–C was examinated by means of XPS. The Brønsted acidity of the residual silanol groups was determined by means of electro-kinetic measurements. It was found that the pK _a values of the residual silanol groups increase with increasing polymer content on the particle surface. The surface acceptor strengths of the hybrid particles in non-aqueous liquids were investigated by the solvatochromic indicator bis(1,10-phenanthroline)-cis-dicyano-iron-II in 1,2-dichloroethane.     

Tris(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato)gallium(III) as a fluorescent probe for sensitive silanol-testing.

The peak shape of tris(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato)gallium(III) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography was found to be very sensitive to trace amounts of silanol groups on the surface of octadecylsylanized silica gel (ODS silica gel). The variation of the peak of the gallium(III) complex can be used as a probe of the residual silanol groups in an ODS column. The chromatographic peak parameters of the complex were compared with the silanol activities output by some silanol-detecting tests using nitrogen-containing compounds as probes. The comparison was performed with several commercially available ODS columns and laboratory-packed columns in which the amount of silanol groups was controlled by mixing fully endcapped ODS materials and a non-endcapped ODS material. The peak height was the most effective parameter among the peak parameters, and much more sensitive than the silanol-detecting tests using nitrogen-containing compounds, in detecting a trace amount of silanol groups that could not be detected by other silanol-detecting tests.     

Thermally- and photoinduced changes in the water wettability of low-surface-area silica and titania

The surface properties of silica and titania are mainly determined by the presence, density, and type of terminal hydroxyl groups (Si-OH "silanol" and Ti-OH "titanol"). Thermal treatment at elevated temperatures causes dehydroxylation on both surfaces, confirmed by streaming potential and ToF-SIMS measurements. The magnitude of the zeta potential markedly decreases after heat treatment, but the IEP is not affected. The intensity ratio MOH(+)/M(+) (M = Si or Ti), which reflects the surface density of OH groups, also decreases noticeably after high-temperature treatment. The mechanism is condensation of adjacent silanol/titanol groups into siloxane/titanoxane bonds. Ultraviolet light (lambda = 254 nm) has little effect on silica but rapidly induces hydrophilicity on titania surfaces. There is a strong correlation between the amount of hydrocarbons adsorbed on the surface and the density of titanol groups (thence the water contact angle). The effect of UV radiation can be entirely attributed to photolytic decomposition of organic contaminants. Dehydroxylated titania and silica (at 1050 degrees C) show very different wetting behavior: silica is moderately hydrophobic (water contact angle of about 40 degrees), while titania is hydrophilic (0 degrees). This dissimilarity can be explained with a simple model estimating the van der Waals and acid-base interfacial interactions.     

化学反应-顶空气相色谱法测定气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基

建立了一种基于化学反应-顶空气相色谱测定气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基含量的新方法.实验取气相二氧化硅放入顶空瓶中于105℃烘箱中加热2 h去除水分,将甲苯稀释的格氏试剂注入密闭的顶空瓶中,格氏试剂与气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基快速反应产生甲烷(CH4),甲烷量与气相二氧化硅表面硅羟基含量成正比.经过气相色谱-氢火焰离子化检测器测定...     

Studies of molecular dynamics of carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber composites containing in situ synthesized silica particles

The molecular dynamics of carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber - silica hybrid materials was investigated. Silica hybrids were formed in situ rubber matrix using varied amounts of N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (DAMS), serving also as a cross-linker. Filler-filler and filler-rubber interactions were present, due to the specific nature of these materials. It was found that the amounts of added aminosilane determined the cross-linking density of obtained materials and was the highest with 20 phr DAMS used. The cross-links had ionic nature. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) revealed β, α and α′ relaxation processes. The β relaxation, correlated with the mobility of polymer side groups, was influenced by the weak interaction between both acrylonitrile and carboxylic groups of the rubber and silanol groups of silica. The activation energy for that relaxation was similar for all materials (∼32 kJ mol⁻¹). Both DRS and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) demonstrated that the amount of in situ formed silica filler did not significantly influence either the temperature of the α relaxation (correlated with glass transition) or its activation energy. Therefore, that relaxation was caused by free polymer chains, not attached to the silica particles. Similar values of glass transition temperature (T_g) for all hybrids were confirmed by DSC. It appeared that the amplitude of tangent delta (DMA) within T_g was dependent on silica amount. Detected at higher temperature α′ relaxation resulted from the presence of domains, where polymer chains were affected by silica network, geometrical restrictions and morphology of the silica-rich domains.