Performance enhancement of silica reinforced functionalized solution-polymerized styrene butadiene rubber/epoxidized natural rubber nanocomposites as green tyre treads

Functionalized solution-polymerized styrene butadiene rubber (FSSBR) and natural rubber (NR) are extensively used in tyre treads. However, the differences in polarity between FSSBR and NR and the affinity of silica towards FSSBR and NR affect the overall performance of the silica-based FSSBR/NR nanocomposites. Herein, epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) is synthesized, and the effect of epoxy group contents on the structure and properties of bis-[γ-(triethoxysilyl)propyl] disulfide (TESPD)-modified silica-reinforced FSSBR/ENR nanocomposites (FSSBR/ENR/silica) with 70 phr FSSBR, 30 phr ENR and 80 phr silica is investigated. The ring-opening reaction between the epoxy groups of ENR and the hydroxyl groups of silica improves the dispersion of silica, whereas epoxidation modification enhances the compatibility between FSSBR and ENR. Compared with the TESPD-modified silica-reinforced FSSBR/NR nanocomposite (FSSBR/NR/silica), the FSSBR/ENR/silica nanocomposite with 14.8% epoxy group contents (FSSBR/ENR14.8/silica) shows a 22% increase in wet-skid resistance, 26% reduction in rolling resistance, and 6% decrease in abrasion resistance, indicating its potential application in green tyre treads.