Improved Rubber Performance Through Phenolic Resin-Modified Silica: A Novel Coupling Mechanism for Enhanced...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Engineering

Background:

• Passenger car tires (PCTs) commonly use silica/silane-filled Butadiene Rubber (BR) or Solution Styrene Butadiene (SSBR) for improved rolling resistance (RR) and wet grip.
• The strong covalent silica-silane-rubber bond in current PCTs hinders recycling and causes property degradation upon breakage.
• Developing recyclable tire materials with maintained or improved performance is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel coupling system for silica-filled tire compounds utilizing reversible non-covalent interactions.
• To overcome the limitations of permanent covalent bonds in current tire materials, improving recyclability and durability.
• To investigate the impact of a new coupling system on tire compound properties.

Main Methods:

• A new coupling system was created by reacting silica with silane (amino and epoxy) and a phenolic resin.
• This system promotes simultaneous π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding between silica and the rubber matrix.
• The modified compounds were analyzed for crosslink density, mechanical performance, fatigue behavior, and rolling resistance.

Main Results:

• The novel coupling system demonstrated improved crosslink density and enhanced mechanical performance.
• Superior fatigue behavior was observed in the tires utilizing the new reversible coupling system.
• The rolling resistance indicator remained comparable to conventional silica-filled compounds.

Conclusions:

• The developed non-covalent, reversible coupling system offers a promising alternative for silica-filled tire compounds.
• This approach enhances tire recyclability and material durability without sacrificing key performance metrics like rolling resistance.
• The findings pave the way for more sustainable and robust tire materials.