Abstract

Silica/SBR (styrene–butadiene rubber) compounds are the primary constituents of tire treads. Furthermore, the excellent dynamic viscoelastic properties of silica lead to good fuel efficiencies. However, the silanol group on the surface of silica does not mix well with non-polar rubber because of its polarity. This incompatibility causes aggregation due to the occurrence of hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups, thereby reducing the dispersibility of silica. Recently, the wet master batch (WMB) process has been applied to overcome these disadvantages, and research on silica dispersants that can be used in the WMB process has been increasing. In this study, we prepared silica/SBR compounds by using three types of eco-friendly cellulose-based dispersants in the WMB process, namely: cellulose-, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and nanocellulose-based dispersants. Subsequently, we compared the vulcanization characteristics, viscoelastic properties, and mechanical properties of the compounds. The silica dispersibility in the rubber compounds was improved with the addition of the nano-cellulose dispersant, resulting in the enhancement of the workability, hardness, tensile strength, and wear resistance of the SBR compound.

Keywords: cellulose;silica;SBR;dispersant;tire tread