Development of a new tyre tread by using silanized pre-treated silica nanofiller

The tyre tread compound for passenger car tyres is a blend of natural rubber (NR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber (BR) and synthetic polyisoprene (IR). It is designed to have high abrasion resistance and traction, low rolling resistance and long durability in service. To achieve these requirements, reinforcing fillers such as colloidal carbon blacks and synthetic silicas are added to raw rubbers. Reinforcing fillers helps to increase the properties mentioned above and also hardness, tensile properties and tear strength. In recent years, silica has been replacing carbon black in industrial rubber articles, for example passenger car tyres, offering significant benefits. Some studies have shown that using silicas in rubber compounds can reduce the excessive use of the curing chemicals without compromising the mechanical properties of rubber vulcanisates, which are essential for long service life. In this study, effects of 60 parts per hundred rubber by weight (phr) precipitated amorphous white silica nanofiller on the viscosity, curing, mechanical and dynamic properties of NR, SBR, BR and IR rubber compounds were investigated. [Continues.]