Effect of silane coupling agent on filler and rubber interaction of silica reinforced solution styrene butadiene rubber

In the present article, the influence of bis-(triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide (TESPT) content on the viscoelastic behavior of silica filled Solution Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SSBR) was carefully studied in terms of loss tangent spectrum and bound rubber content. The results showed that both relative tan δ area and tan δmax of filled SSBR with TESPT were detected to present maximum value at 2.5 wt% TESPT(with respect to silica loading). Larger tan δ area and tan δmax meant more chains participating in the glass transition in the present system, which is reflected by the variation of effective filler volume with TESPT content. The interaction between filler and rubber can be improved remarkably when a little amount of TESPT up to 2.5 wt% was incorporated, whereas as the TESPT content exceeds 2.5 wt% the filler–rubber interaction was weakened, which was also proven by TEM images and Payne effect. The bound rubber content of this SSBR system studied presents the same tendency as tan δmax. Once TESPT linked with rubber chains, the condensation reaction between silica and SCA is somewhat hindered because of the difficulty in diffusion of large molecules after SCA is chemically bonded with rubber molecules. The network structure of the filled SSBR was analyzed by applying elasticity model. The consecutive increase of crosslink density compensated the reduction of topological tube-like constrains and thus tensile strength continued to ascend with TESPT content, but sacrificed the ultimate strain. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1575–1582, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers