Thermal stability of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites filled with kaolinite/silica hybrid filler

Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites filled with fillers, such as modified kaolinite (MK), precipitated silica (PS), and the hybrid fillers containing MK and PS, were prepared by melt blending. The kaolinite sheets were finely dispersed in the SBR matrix around 20–80 nm in thickness and reached the nano-scale. The SBR composites with fillers exhibited excellent thermal stability compared to the pure SBR. The thermal stability of SBR composites was improved with the increasing of MK mass fraction. When MK hybridized with PS, kaolinite sheets were covered by the fine silica particles and the interface between filler particles and rubber matrix became more indistinct. SBR composite filled by hybrid fillers containing 40 phr MK and 10 phr PS became more difficult in decomposition and was better than that of 50 phr PS/SBR and 50 phr MK/SBR in thermal stability. Therefore, the hybridization of the fine silica particles with the kaolinite particles can effectively improve the thermal stability of SBR composites.     

Effect of nanosilica on thermal oxidative degradation of SBR

The effect of silica content on thermal oxidative stability of styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica composites has been studied. Morphologies of silica in SBR with different contents are investigated by scanning electron microscopy, which indicates that silica can well disperse in SBR matrix below the content of 40 %, otherwise aggregates or agglomerates will generate. Composites with around 40 % silica content show excellent mechanical properties and retention ratios after aging at 85 °C for 6 days. The values of activation energy (E _a) of pure SBR and its composites are calculated by Kissinger and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa methods based on thermogravimetric (TG) results, which suggests that composite with about 20 % silica has minimum E _a, and composite with 30–40 % silica has maximum E _a. According to TG curves, it is found that silica can suppress the formation of char leading to decline in stability to some extent. On the other side, silica also has positive effect on improving thermal stability of the matrix as filler. Thus, the SBR/silica composites with silica content of 30–40 % can possess both excellent resistance to thermal oxidative degradation and superior mechanical properties.     

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.     

平衡溶胀法研究谷氨酸二硫代氨基甲酸镧对SBR/SiO2复合材料界面作用的影响

通过合成一种含有二硫代羧基,羧基和镧离子的新型稀土促进剂——谷氨酸二硫代氨基甲酸镧(简称La-GDTC),并利用平衡溶胀法研究了La-GDTC对丁苯橡胶(SBR)/SiO2复合材料界面作用的影响.交联密度测试表明,SiO2的加入能够有效提高SBR/La-GDTC/SiO2复合材料的交联密度;而SBR/La-GDTC/S...     

Influence of the structural characteristic of pyrolysis products on thermal stability of styrene-butadiene rubber composites reinforced by different particle sized kaolinites

A series of rubber composites were prepared by blending styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latex and the different particle sized kaolinites. The thermal stabilities of the rubber composites were characterized using thermogravimetry, digital photography, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Kaolinite SBR composites showed much greater thermal stability when compared with that of the pure SBR. With the increase of kaolinite particle size, the pyrolysis products became much looser; the char layer and crystalline carbon content gradually decreased in the pyrolysis residues. The pyrolysis residues of the SBR composites filled with the different particle sized kaolinites showed some remarkable changes in structural characteristics. The increase of kaolinite particle size was not beneficial to form the compact and stable crystalline carbon in the pyrolysis process, and resulted in a negative influence in improving the thermal stability of kaolinite/SBR composites.     

Influence of different curing systems on the physico-mechanical properties and stability of SBR and NR rubbers

The physical properties of radiation, sulfur and peroxide-cured styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) and natural rubber (NR) were compared. The dependence of the mechanical properties of the radiation-vulcanized SBR and NR on the coagent concentration and radiation dose was studied. The effect of thermal aging on the mechanical properties of the different rubber formulations was discussed. The radiation-cured formulations of SBR have superior mechanical properties and thermal stability compared with those of the chemically vulcanized compounds. Whereas, the radiation-cured formulations of NR have similar mechanical properties but superior thermal stability (based on the % change in E after thermal aging), when compared with those of the sulfur-vulcanized compounds and slightly better than those of the peroxide-vulcanized compounds.     

Aging properties of styrene-butadiene rubber nanocomposites filled with carbon black and rectorite

To better understand the effect of rectorite and carbon black (CB) on the aging performance of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), SBR/CB, SBR/CB/rectorite and SBR/rectorite nanocomposites with the same total filler loading were prepared. The microstructure of the three SBR nanocomposites was characterized by XRD, TEM and SEM. After thermal aging, oxygen-containing molecules were found to be formed in the SBR nanocomposites, as verified by FTIR analysis. The SBR/rectorite nanocomposite showed the highest aging coefficient and the lowest change rate of tensile strength and stress at 100% strain among the three SBR nanocomposites, indicating that the introduction of nano-dispersed rectorite layers can enhance the thermal aging resistance of the nanocomposites. For the SBR/CB/rectorite nanocomposite, the addition of CB helped to improve the interfacial compatibility between the filler and matrix, resulting in the best crack resistance as the aged SBR/CB/rectorite nanocomposite always demonstrated the least cracks on the surface during either stretching or bending experiments.     

Role of epoxidized natural Eucommia ulmoides gum in modifying the interface of styrene‐butadiene rubber/silica composites

Eucommia ulmoides gum (EUG) is a renewable and sustainable polymer, which could be used as rubber or plastic by altering its crosslinking density while the complicated extracting process and nonpolar molecular chains limited its application. In this effort, a novel extraction method was introduced, which could simplify the extraction process of EUG. Then, the extracted EUG‐chloroform (CHCl₃) solution was directly used to prepare epoxidized EUG (EEUG) with an epoxy degree of 40.0% to improve its polarity. The epoxidized natural EUG exhibiting both polar and nonpolar motives had an advantage in working as an interfacial compatibilizer for polymer composites, especially bio‐based composites due to its inherent biocompatibility. Accordingly, the role of EEUG in modifying the interface of styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica composites were explored. The results showed that EEUG in SBR/silica composites acted not only as a compatibilizer but also as a constructure generating better mechanical properties than other compatibilizers, such as silane couplings, Si‐69 and KH‐550, and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR). The simplified extracting process and the epoxy modification of EUG would extend its application in rubber materials, medical materials, and biopolymer materials.     

Maleated glycidyl 3‐pentadecenyl phenyl ether with styrene: synthesis and application as compatibilizer in SBR/silica composite

Maleated glycidyl 3‐pentadecenyl phenyl ether with styrene (MGS) was synthesized from glycidyl 3‐pentadecenyl phenyl ether (GPPE), maleic anhydride (MAH) and styrene (St) in the presence of AIBN initiator at 80°C, and then the resultant MGS was applied as a compatibilizer to prepare SBR/silica composites. Meanwhile, the commercial compatibilizer bis‐(triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfide (named Si69) added into composite was also prepared for comparison purpose. The synthetic MGS structure was characterized by GPC and FTIR, and SBR/silica compounds with different compatibilizer were analyzed using RPA, DMA and so on. The results showed that M?n and M?w of MGS were 19,538 g/mol and 23,790 g/mol, respectively. The curing time of compounds with MGS increased, whereas the maximum and minimum torques decreased. The addition of MGS decreased Payne effect of SBR/silica compounds, which implied an improvement of silica dispersion in the compounds. Bound rubber content of compound with MGS was about 1.7 times higher than the absence and 1.5 times higher than that with Si69. The tensile strength of the composites was improved by increasing compatibilizer loading, and the optimum value was observed at 6 phr of MGS. Meanwhile the use of MGS can improve the anti‐aging property of composite. According to DMA, the tanδ value at 0°C of composite with MGS was higher than composite without compatibilizer suggesting that MGS can improve the wet skid resistance of composite. The SEM analysis revealed that introduction of MGS enhanced the compatibility between SBR and silica. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A facile and green preparation of nanosilica-supported antioxidant and its reinforcement and antioxidation effect on styrene-butadiene rubber

A novel solid-phase method has been proposed to prepare a nanosilica-supported antioxidant by the reaction of nanosilica with 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MB) and silane coupling agent γ-chloropropyltriethoxysilane. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and other characterization methods confirmed that MB was chemically bonded onto the surface of nanosilica. Silica-s-MB was homogeneously dispersed in a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) matrix with strong filler-rubber interaction, leading to enhanced mechanical performance of SBR/silica-s-MB composites compared with SBR/m-silica composites. Based on the results of thermo-oxidation testing of SBR/silica-s-MB and SBR/m-silica/MB composites containing equivalent antioxidant component, silica-s-MB showed better antioxidative efficiency than the corresponding low-molecular-weight MB owing to its lower migration and volatility at high temperature.     

高填充量碳纳米管/丁苯粉末橡胶机械混炼的物理化学机制

将用喷雾干燥法制备的碳纳米管(CNTs)/丁苯粉末橡胶复合材料在开炼机上机械混炼, 考察机械混炼对复合材料常规力学性能的影响, 并对机械混炼对CNTs增强丁苯橡胶复合材料力学性能的影响进行相应的理论研究和机理分析. 结果表明, 与混炼前的复合材料相比, 机械混炼有效地提高了CNTs/丁苯橡胶复合材料的力学性能, 特别是当CNTs加入量较大时, 提高幅度更为显著, 与填充传统补强剂CB复合材料相比, 具有较大的优势. 这是因为机械混炼一方面使CNTs在橡胶基体中获得了更为充分均匀的分散; 另一方面, 混炼过程中产生的自由基以及巨大的剪切力, 使得CNTs与橡胶基体间界面结合如物理吸附、氢键作用、化学结合等得到了进一步增强, 提高了CNTs/丁苯橡胶复合材料的结合橡胶含量, 更好地发挥了CNTs对丁苯橡胶的补强效应, 从而提高了复合材料的拉伸强度和撕裂强度等力学性能. CNTs补强丁苯橡胶复合材料力学性能的机理符合“强键和弱键学说”.     

Properties of ethylene propylene diene rubber/white and black filler composites cured by gamma radiation in presence of sorbic acid

The effect of incorporating sorbic acid (SA), an echo-friendly curing agent, and silica or carbon black (CB) filler, as well as gamma irradiation on the physico-chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) was investigated. The results indicated that the developed composites revealed improvement in the studied parameters over the untreated samples. Filler incorporation into rubber matrix has been proven a key factor in enhancing the swelling resistance, tensile strength and thermal properties of the fabricated composites. The improvement in tensile strength and modulus was attributed to better interfacial bonding via SA. Alternatively, a comparison was established between the performance of the white and black fillers. The utmost mechanical performance was reported for the incorporated ratios 10 phr SA and 40 phr white filler into a 50 kGy irradiated composite. Meanwhile, the incorporation of CB yielded better thermally stable composites than those filled with silica at similar conditions.     

Effects of Sericite Modified by Macromolecular Dispersant on the Thermal,Mechanical and Electrical Properties of the NR/SBR Composites

A new hydrosoluble macromolecular dispersant and modifier, poly(ethylene glycol)-maleic anhydride-acrylic acid (PEG-MA-AA) terpolymer was synthesized via ring-opening reaction and free radical polymerization. The chemical structure of the PEG-MA-AA terpolymer was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and its average molecular weight was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Modified sericite (MSE) was synthesized from sericite (SE) by the surface modification with PEG-MA-AA. The NR/SBR/MSE composites were prepared via the blending of the modified sericite and NR/SBR rubber. The thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of the composites were investigated by TGA, tensile test machine and high-insulation resistance meter. The results showed that the thermal stability and the mechanical and electrical insulation properties of NR/SBR/MSE composites were improved significantly. SEM also revealed that modified sericite possessed good dispersibility.     

Styrenated phenol modified nanosilica for improved thermo-oxidative and mechanical properties of natural rubber

The present work aims to prepare thermal and oxidation resistant Natural Rubber (NR) composites using antioxidant-modified nanosilica (MNS). The thermo-oxidative aging performance of the composites was evaluated by the variations in mechanical properties after aging at 100 °C for 24 h. The performance was further monitored through Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. NR nanocomposite with 1–7.5 phr nanosilica (NS) and 3 phr MNS were prepared and its rheological properties were studied. A comparative study of the theoretical models yielded that modified Guth-Gold equation predicted Young's modulus better than other models. Thermal stability of natural rubber MNS composite was improved by 10 °C with pre-eminent mechanical properties like tensile strength and heat build-up. A linear relationship of compression set with modulus of all composites were also established. Equilibrium swelling test revealed improved crosslink density in NR MNS composite. The strong interaction between antioxidant and nanosilica enabled low migration of antioxidant in NR MNS composite. Hence its protective function after aging showed more effective than NR NS composites. These versatile functional properties of NR MNS composite suggest its potential application in electrical, electronic and high performance rubber products.     

Morphology and performance of styrene butadiene rubber filled with modified graphite nanoplatelet and carbon black

In our work, effects of 2‐mercapto‐1‐methylimidazole modified graphite nanoplatelet (MMI–GN) and carbon black (CB) on static and dynamic mechanical properties of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites were studied. MMI–GN is synthesized by ball‐mill process, and the result reveals that π–π interactions existed between MMI and GN. The results demonstrate that the static and dynamic mechanical performances of SBR/CB/MMI–GN composites are significantly improved over these of SBR/CB and SBR/CB/GN composites. Compared with SBR/CB, the tensile strength, tear strength, and modulus at 300% elongation of SBR/CB/MMI–GN–3 are greatly improved by 45%, 27%, and 4%, respectively. And the rolling resistance of SBR/CB/MMI–GN–3 is reduced by 3.7% with remaining almost unchanged in the wet grip property. The superiority of MMI–GN in the enhancement for the overall performance of SBR/CB composites is attributed to the well dispersion of GN throughout the SBR matrix and the enhanced interfacial interactions between GN and the SBR matrix. This work might expedite synthesis of the graphite‐based materials for enhancing rubber composites, and enlarge the potential applications of modified graphite to fabricate the high‐performance rubber composites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of epoxidized Eucommia ulmoides gum and its application in styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica composites

In this article, we primarily introduced a method to prepare epoxidized Eucommia ulmoides gum (EEUG) and studied its application as interfacial additive in styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica composites. We prepared the EEUG from the Eucommia gum extract solution using E. ulmoides leaves pretreated with enzymatic solutions as the raw material, petroleum ether as the solvent, and peracetic acid (CH₃COOOH) as the oxidant under a certain temperature. Accordingly, we focused on studying the effects of a series of factors, such as the mole ratio (γ) of peracetic acid to double bonds of Eucommia gum and reaction time on the epoxidation degree and crystallization degree of Eucommia gum in the epoxidation process, in order to control the properties of the EEUG. Regarding the study of the application of EEUG in SBR/silica composites, we found that the addition of EEUG greatly promoted the properties of SBR/silica composites by improving the dispersion of silica in SBR composites, which possessed excellent mechanical properties, including higher tensile strength, tear strength, 100 and 300% modulus, wear resistance, and low heat buildup. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of aging on thermal behavior and characterization of SBR compound-modified asphalt

Sulfur and polyphosphoric acid (PPA) were used to improve the thermal stability and high-temperature property of styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR)-modified asphalt before and after short-term and long-term aging. The physical, rheological properties, and thermal behavior of asphalt binders were studied. The study showed that the addition of PPA improved the thermal stability and high-temperature property of SBR-modified asphalt evidently, and the improved property caused by the gelation effect of PPA was not influenced by aging further. Though sulfur also improved thermal stability and high-temperature property of SBR-modified asphalt before aging, the improved properties declined evidently with further aging, due to the susceptibility of SBR/sulfur-modified asphalt to aging. It is reasonable to assume that the SBR-modified asphalt could be improved further only by the addition of PPA. In the study of polymer-modified asphalts, thermodynamic analysis can reflect the structural characteristics of asphalt binders before and after aging efficiently and confirms the conclusions of physical and rheological testings to some extent.     

Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis of gum and silica-filled NR/SBR blends prepared from latex system

Natural rubber/styrene-butadiene rubber (NR/SBR) blends, with and without silica, were prepared by co-coagulating the mixture of rubber latices and various amounts of well-dispersed silica suspension. An attempt to predict blend compositions was made using Raman spectroscopy in association with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that the intensity of each Raman characteristic peak was strongly dependent on the blend composition, but there was no significant evolution with the presence of silica. Also, TGA results revealed an improvement in thermal stability of NR/SBR blends with increasing both SBR and silica contents due to the dilution effect. Two distinct glass transition temperatures (T_g) were observed in DSC thermograms of all blends, and their T_g values were independent on both blend composition and silica content. This indicated a physical blend formation, which agreed well with no shifts in Raman peaks of the blends in comparison with those of the individual rubbers. Linear regression with R² quality factor close to 0.99 was achieved when plotting intensity ratio at 1371/1302 cm^?1 versus blend ratios. On the other hand, the peak height ratio and heat capacity ratio from TGA and DSC analysis, respectively, yielded quadratic equations as a function of blend ratios.     

Prevention of oxide aging acceleration by nano-dispersed clay in styrene-butadiene rubber matrix

In order to minimize the oxidative degradation of SBR at high temperature, the nano-dispersed clay layers were introduced by using the SBR/clay (100/80) nanocompound to prepare SBR/clay/carbon black (CB) nanocomposites, then the effects of nano-clay on the properties of SBR nanocomposites are investigated. The clay layers and CB are uniformly dispersed in the SBR matrix at nano-scale. The mechanical properties of the SBR/clay/CB nanocomposites mostly decrease with the increase of clay loading, however, with the increase of clay loading, the change rate of the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites decreases and the aging coefficient of the nanocomposites rises, and the length and depth of the cracks of the aged nanocomposites after bending decrease, which means that the clay layers can provide the nanocomposites excellent thermal aging resistance and heat resistance. The experiment of aging with air and without air proved the importance of oxygen during rubber aging process. The FTIR spectra show the generation of oxygen-containing group on the external surface of the nanocomposites during aging. The DSC results indicate the differences between the internal layer and the external layer of the aged nanocomposites.     

Filler-elastomer interactions: influence of silane coupling agent on crosslink density and thermal stability of silica/rubber composites

In this work, the crosslink density and thermal stability of the silica/rubber composites treated by silane coupling agents, i.e., gamma-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APS), gamma-chloropropyl trimethoxysilane (CPS), and gamma-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS), were investigated. The chemical structures of modified silicas were studied in term of solid-state 29Si NMR spectroscopy. The crosslink density of the composites was determined by swelling measurement. The development of organic functional groups on silica surfaces treated by coupling agents led to an increase in the crosslink density of the composites, resulting in increasing final thermal stability of the composites. The composites treated by MPS showed the superior crosslink density and thermal stability in these systems. The results could be explained by the fact that the organic functional groups of silica surfaces by silane surface treatments led to an increase of the adhesion at interfaces between silicas and the rubber matrix.