Comparison on Mechanical Properties of SSBR Composites Reinforced by Modified Carbon black, Silica, and Starch

Solution-styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) composites were manufactured using four kinds of fillers: silica-silane coated carbon black (SC-CB) hybrid, starch-SC-CB hybrid, pure silica, and pure starch. The influence of filler type on the mechanical properties of the rubber matrix was studied in this work. SC-CB was prepared by silane-graft-coating using vinyl triethoxy silane and carbon black, which enhanced the dispersion effect between the rubber matrix and the filler, and improved the mechanical properties of the compounds. The morphology of the composites was observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The thermal decomposition behavior of the composites was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the crosslinking behavior of the composites was tested using a rubber process analyzer (RPA). The hardness, tensile strength, swelling ratio, and gas transmittance rate of the composites were evaluated according to ASTM. The test results revealed that with the addition of SC-CB, the hybrid fillers, especially those blended with silica, showed a better reinforcement effect, the highest hardness and tensile strength, and stable thermal decomposition behavior. This implies that the silica-SC-CB hybrid filler has a notable mechanical reinforcement effect on the SSBR matrix. Because of self-crosslinking during its synthesis, the starch-SC-CB hybrid filler produced the most dense matrix, which improved the anti-gas transmittance property. The composites with the hybrid fillers had better anti-swelling properties as compared to the neat SSBR composite, which was due to the hydrophilicity of silica and starch.