Effect of silica reinforcement on natural rubber and butadiene rubber vulcanizates by a sol–gel reaction with tetraethoxysilane

Abstract

AbstractThe effect of silica reinforcement was studied for natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR) vulcanizates by a sol–gel reaction with tetraethoxysilane at different temperatures. The formation of silica in the rubber vulcanizates was investigated analytically with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. The variations of the mechanical and dynamic properties were measured in the NR and BR vulcanizates with silica filling. The hardness of the rubber vulcanizates increased with silica filling in the rubber matrix. The tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with silica filling in the NR vulcanizates. The moduli at 50, 100, and 300% elongation increased with silica filling in the rubber matrix. The storage modulus of silica‐filled rubber vulcanizates became higher than that of pure rubber vulcanizates. The temperature dependence of the loss modulus also increased with silica filling. The temperature dependence of the loss tangent was maintained, regardless of silica filling in the BR vulcanizates. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008