Investigation of Treated Distillate Aromatic Extract (TDAE) oil influence on rubber : filler interactions and material properties of silica-filled SBR/BR polymer and binary blends

Abstract

This thesis demonstrates that the overall characteristics of highly silica-filled SBR and BR mixtures, as well as their binary blends, are determined by the equilibrium between rubber–filler and filler–filler interactions, which are significantly affected by oil content. When low TDAE oil levels helped with better filler distribution and stronger rubber–filler interaction, high oil levels made internal interactions weaker and caused lower reinforcement. The rubber layer parameter L proved to be an effective measure of rubber–filler interaction, and it was clearly related to modulus-related parameters. More generally, the research found useful correlations between the interaction parameters and the mechanical behaviour of SBR/BR rubber systems filled with silica.