Designing a Coupling Agent with Aliphatic Polyether Chain and Exploring Its Effect on Silica/Natural Rubber Nanocomposites under the Action of Non-Rubber Contents

Xiaobo Zhai; Xin Chen; Fangyuan Zheng; Dongli Han; Junchi Zheng; Xin Ye; Xiaolin Li; Liqun Zhang

doi:10.3390/polym15030674

Designing a Coupling Agent with Aliphatic Polyether Chain and Exploring Its Effect on Silica/Natural Rubber Nanocomposites under the Action of Non-Rubber Contents

Polymers (Basel). 2023 Jan 28;15(3):674. doi: 10.3390/polym15030674.

Authors

Xiaobo Zhai^{1

2}, Xin Chen^{1

3}, Fangyuan Zheng², Dongli Han^{1

3}, Junchi Zheng^{1

3}, Xin Ye^{1

3}, Xiaolin Li^{1

3}, Liqun Zhang^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beisanhuan East Road, Beijing 100029, China.
² Yanshan Branch, National Engineering Research Center for Synthesis of Novel Rubber and Plastic Materials, Sinopec Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry, Beijing 102500, China.
³ Engineering Research Center of Elastomer Materials on Energy Conservation and Resources, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.

Abstract

In order to prepare engineering tires with lower rolling resistance and better wet slip resistance in a more environmentally friendly way. In this study, a series of low volatile organic compound (VOC) M_x-Si69 coupling agents (x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, which means the number of ethoxy group in bis-(γ-triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide (Si69) substituted by the aliphatic polyether chain) were applied to silica/NR nanocomposites to prepare tire tread with excellent performance. Firstly, M₁-Si69 was substantiated as the best choice of M_x-Si69 and Si69 to achieve comprehensive optima in the mechanical properties of silica/NR nanocomposites characterized by dynamic and static mechanical properties. Afterwards, the modification of silica with M₁-Si69 induced by Non-Rubber Contents (NRCs) in silica/NR nanocomposites was revealed by comparing the filler network, micromorphology, and mechanical properties of isoprene rubber (IR) and NR nanocomposites. Furthermore, compared with Si69, the M₁-Si69 coupling agent was found to conspicuously reduce the energy loss and improve the safety performance of engineering tires according to evaluations of the rolling resistance and dynamic thermomechanical properties of the silica/NR nanocomposites. Finally, the critical function of M₁-Si69 in reducing ethanol (a kind of volatile organic compound (VOC)) emissions from the reaction of coupling agent and silica was disclosed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Keywords: NR; NRCs; VOC; coupling agent.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.