New Structure Proposal for Silane Modified Silica

The use of the silica / silane system inside a tire tread compound enables a significant improvement in the rolling resistance and the wet traction of the tire. In order to improve the performance of such a tread compound further, a deep understanding of the coupling mechanism of the silica to the polymer is essential. In this paper a new proposal for the picture of a modified silica surface is presented to understand this coupling of a silica via a silane towards the polymer in a tire tread compound in a better way.