A Study on Properties of SSBR/NdBR Rubber Composites Reinforced by Silica

Five solution styrene butadiene rubber/neodymium butadiene rubber (SSBR/NdBR) composites were manufactured using different ratios of SSBR and NdBR. In this study, the composites were reinforced with NdBR and silica to confirm the physical properties of SSBR used for treads of automobile tires and the dispersibility with silica. The morphologies of the rubber composites were observed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The crosslinking behaviors of the composites were tested using a rubber process analyzer (RPA), and the abrasion resistances were tested using a National Bureau of Standards (NBS) abrasion tester. The hardness values, tensile strengths, and cold resistances of the composites were also tested according to ASTM standards. Increased NdBR content yielded composites with excellent crosslinking properties, abrasion resistances, hardnesses, tensile strengths, and cold resistances. The crosslinking point increased due to the double bond in NdBR, thereby increasing the degree of crosslinking in the composites. The NdBR-reinforced composites exhibited excellent abrasion resistances, which is explained as follows. In SSBR, a breakage is permanent because a resonance structure between styrene and SSBR forms when the molecular backbone is broken during the abrasion process. However, NdBR forms an additional crosslink due to the breakdown of the molecular backbone and high reactivity of the radicals produced. In addition, the low glass transition temperature (Tg) of NdBR provided the rubber composites with excellent cold resistances.