Mechanical Properties and Structure of Zinc-Containing Latex-Silicate Composites

The sol-gel technology is highly efficient for improving mechanical and thermal properties of polydiene elastomers by creating in them additional inorganic networks composed mainly of silica or silicates. The incorporation of modifying Zn ions into polydiene latex-silica systems increases considerably their mechanical characteristics due to an increase of the interaction between the organic and inorganic networks. Interpenetrating polydiene-silica networks were prepared by cohydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane and zinc acetate in natural Qualitex or synthetic butadiene-styrene latexes and then by aging and drying the liquid compositions at room temperature and vulcanizing at 90°C. Their structure and properties were studied by the IR spectroscopy, TMA and by tensile testing of the prepared films. The studied system was shown to be extremely suitable for obtaining latex films with improved elastic and strength characteristics. For example, the elastic modulus values of the Qualitex films containing 2–5% SiO₂ and 0.1–0.2% ZnO, are 4–9 and 6–11 times higher than those of the films prepared without zinc and of the pure latex films respectively. The possible structure roles of zinc ions at various stages of film preparation and vulcanization are discussed on the base of the results of IR and TMA studies.