The reinforcement and crosslinking of styrene butadiene rubber with silanized precipitated silica nanofiller

Synthetic precipitated amorphous white silica nanofiller was used to reinforce and crosslink styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). The silica surfaces were pre-treated with bis[3-triethoxysilyipropyl-)tetrasulfide (TESPT) bifunctional organosilane. TESPT chemically adheres silica to rubber and also prevents silica from interfering with the reaction mechanism of sulfur-cure. The silica particles were fully dispersed in the rubber, which was cured primarily by using sulfur in TESPT, or, by adding elemental sulfur to the cure system. The cure was also optimized by incorporating different accelerators and activators in the rubber. This study showed that the silica particles could be used both as crosslinking and reinforcing filler in the rubber.