• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.152-163
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• 2021

Liquid butadiene rubber (LqBR) is used as a processing aid and plays a vital role in the manufacture of high-performance tire tread compounds. In this study, center-functionalized LqBR (C-LqBR) was polymerized with different vinyl content via anionic polymerization. The effects of the vinyl content on the properties of the compounds were investigated by partially replacing the treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) oil with C-LqBR in silica-filled rubber compounds. C-LqBR compounds showed a low Payne effect and Mooney viscosity regardless of the vinyl content, because of improved silica dispersion due to the ethoxysilyl group. As the vinyl content of C-LqBR increased, the optimum cure time (t₉₀) increased owing to a decrease in the number of allylic hydrogen. Moreover, the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the compound increased, and snow traction and abrasion resistance performance decreased, whereas wet grip improved. The energy loss characteristics revealed that the hysteresis attributed to the free chain ends of C-LqBR was dominant.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2020

Highly aromatic (HA) oils are common processing aids used in tire tread compounds. However, they often bleed and evaporate from the vulcanizates during tire use. Thus, the mechanical and dynamical properties of the tire decrease. To overcome this problem, we investigated nonfunctionalized liquid butadiene rubber (LBR-305, Kuraray) and center-functionalized liquid butadiene rubber (C-LqBR), polymerized by anionic polymerization. In addition to the liquid butadiene rubbers, p-tert-octylphenol (P-Resin) and C5 hydrocarbon (H-Resin) tackifier resins, which can induce entanglement of rubber compounds, were researched as a processing aid to solve the bleeding problem. Liquid butadiene rubbers have significantly reduced extraction loss by crosslinking with the main rubber chain. They have also increased the abrasion resistance and showed similar or better mechanical and dynamical properties against HA oils. However, resin compounds did not show differences in extraction loss compared to HA oil compounds; instead, they showed increased wet traction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 1999

Intending to develop a new rubber curing process using only microwave, the both the characteristics of cure and the mechanical properties of rubbers for the tire tread, for which a green styrene-butadiene compounds had been cured with 2.45 GHz microwave, have been compared with those of the custom thermal cured rubber. The unintentional hot spot formation in the compound during the microwave curing has not found where the compound has a microwave absorbing ceramic powders in 4.18 weight percents and the supplying voltage has been adjusted to 90 volts. The new microwave process accomplished preheating to 418K in a quarter of the thermal cure time. The average tensile strength of the microwave-cured rubber indicating $190kg/cm^3$ was compatible to that of the thermal cure. In conclusion, the new microwave cure had approved to be applicable in a commercial plant.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.234-242
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• 2021

The demand for truck bus radial (TBR) tires with enhanced fuel efficiency and wear resistance have grown in recent years. In addition, as the issue of particulate matter and air pollution increases, efforts are being made to reduce the generation of particulate matter. In this study, the properties of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) containing a silica-friendly functional group were evaluated by considering it as a base rubber and varying the silica ratio in this binary filler system. The results showed that the wear resistance of the NR/BR blend compound decreased as the silica ratio increased. In contrast, the ENR/BR blend compound exhibited an increase in wear resistance as the silica ratio was increased. In particular, the ENR-50/BR blend compound showed the best wear resistance due to the presence of several epoxide groups. Furthermore, we observed that for tan 𝛿 at 60℃, higher epoxide content resulted in the higher T_g of the rubber, indicating a higher tan 𝛿 at 60℃. On the other hand, it was confirmed that increasing the silica ratio decreased the value of tan 𝛿 at 60℃ in all compounds. In addition, we measured the amount of wear particulate matters generated from the compound wear. These measurements confirmed that in the binary filler system, regardless of the filler type, the quantity of the generated wear particulate matters as the filler-rubber interaction increased. In conclusion, the silica filled ENR/BR blend compound exhibited the lowest generation of wear particulate matters.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.141-153
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• 2023

This review paper presents an introduction of contact mechanics and rubber friction theory for sliding friction of elastomer composites in contact with rough surfaces. Particularly, Klüppel & Heinrich theory considers the self-affine (or fractal) characteristic for rough surfaces to predict adhesion and hysteresis frictions of elastomers based on the contact mechanics of Greenwood & Williamson. Due to dynamic excitation process of elastomer composites while sliding in contact with multiscale surface roughness (or asperity), viscoelastic properties in a wide frequency range becomes major contributor to friction behaviors. A brief description and examples are provided to construct a viscoelastic master curve considering nonlinear viscoelasticity of elastomer composites. Finally, application of rubber friction theory to tire tread compounds in traction with road surfaces is discussed with several experimental and theoretical results.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.281-288
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• 2020

A calibration curve is needed to determine the SBR and BR blend ratio of SBR/BR blend rubber compounds using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass chromatography (Py-GC/MS) or Py-GC. In general, a calibration curve is obtained using reference SBR/BR vulcanizates with various blend ratios. In this study, the calibration curves were obtained using reference samples made of rubber solutions and were compared to those plotted using the reference SBR/BR vulcanizates. Calibration curves using variations of 1,3-butadiene/styrene, 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH)/styrene, 2-phenylpropene (PhP)/butadiene, PhP/VCH, 4-phenylcyclohexene (PhCH)/butadiene, and PhCH/VCH ratios with the BR content were examined for the suitability. We found that the calibration curves obtained using the mixed rubber solution references (1,3-butadiene/styrene and PhP/butadiene) could replace those constructed using the reference SBR/BR vulcanizates. The calibration curves of 1,3-butadiene/styrene and PhP/butadiene obtained using the raw references can be used for the determination of the SBR/BR blend ratios by applying some correction factors.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2023

Abrasion tests of model tire tread compounds (NR and NR/BR blend compounds) were performed at different slip angles (1° and 7°) using a laboratory abrasion tester. The abrasion behavior was investigated by analyzing the worn surface and wear particles. The abrasion spacing formed on the specimen worn at the large slip angle of 7° was significantly narrower than that at the small slip angle of 1°, while the abrasion depth for the specimen worn at 7° was lower than that at 1°. The abrasion spacing and depth tended to be narrower and lower, respectively, as the BR content increased. The abrasion patterns were clearly visible on the outside of the specimen for the slip angle of 1° but not for 7°. The wear particles had a rough surface and there were numerous micro-bumps. It was found that the crosslink density affected the abrasion patterns and morphologies of the wear particles.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.310-316
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• 2020

Terpene-modified phenolic resins were used to improve the tires wet traction related to the driving safety and also rolling resistance related to fuel efficiency. In this work, alpha-pinene, beta pinene, and delta limonene resins, which constitute different basic structures of terpene-modified phenolic resins, were individually added to the tread compounds of tires and their physical properties were compared with those of the alkyl phenol resin compounds. Alkyl phenolic resins showed no significant difference in tangent delta from terpene-modified phenolic resins at 0 ℃, which is related to wet traction, but showed higher tangent delta at 80 ℃, which is related to rolling resistance, indicating smaller fuel efficiency improvement effects. Among the terpene-modified phenolic resins, beta pinene one showed improved wet traction and fuel efficiency compared to those of other resins. Delta limonene resin showed the best wet traction improvement effect, and alkyl phenolic resins showed relatively high tensile strength and abrasion property. All terpene-modified resins exhibited better rolling resistance than those of alkyl phenolic ones so that they can be said to have better fuel efficiency improvement effects and also to improve other properties compared to those of blanks. Terpene-modified phenolic resins could be used when mixing tire compounds referring to the properties of the phenolic resins revealed in this work, which could result in preparing compounds with improved wet traction and rolling resistance.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.167-175
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• 2020

Various studies have been conducted to improve silica dispersion of silica filled tire tread compounds; among them, silica wet masterbatch (WMB) technology is known to be suitable for manufacturing silica filled compounds that have high silica content and high dispersibility. Till now, the WMB study is focused on the natural rubber (NR) or emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR) that does not have a silica-affinity functional group, and a study of NR or ESBR having a silica-affinity functional group is still not well known. Unlike the dry masterbatch technology, the WMB technology can solve the problems associated with the high Mooney viscosity when applied to silica-friendly rubber. However, a coagulant suitable for each functional group has not yet been determined. Therefore, in this study, different coagulant applied silica WMB was prepared by applying calcium chloride, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid by using a carboxyl group functionalized reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer ESBR. The evaluation of the WMB compounds revealed that the calcium chloride added WMB compound showed excellent silica dispersion, abrasion resistance, and rolling resistance.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2019

The rapid development of the automobile industry is an important factor that led to the dramatic development of synthetic rubber. The tread part of tire that comes in direct contact with the road surface is related to the service life of the tire. Rubber compounds used in tire treads are often blended with SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) and BR (butadiene rubber) to satisfy physical property requirements. However, when two or more kinds of rubber are blended, phase separation and silica dispersion problems may occur due to non-uniform mixing of the rubber. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized an SBR copolymer with the same composition as that of a typical SBR/BR blend compound by controlling butadiene content during ESBR (emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber) synthesis. Subsequently, silica filled compounds were manufactured using the synthesized ESBR, and their mechanical properties, dynamic viscoelasticity, and crosslinking density were compared with those of the SBR/BR blended compound. When the content of butadiene was increased in the silica filled compound, the cure rate accelerated due to an increased number of allylic positions, which typically exhibit higher reactivity. However, the T-2 compound with increased butadiene content by synthesis less likely to show an increase in crosslink density due to poor silica dispersion. In addition, the T-3 compound containing high cis BR content showed high crosslink density due to its monosulfide crosslinking structure. Because of the phase separation, SBR/BR blend compounds were easily broken and showed similar $M_{100%}$ and $M_{300%}$ values as those of other compounds despite their high crosslink density. However, the developed blend showed excellent abrasion resistance due to the high cis-1,4 butadiene content and low rolling resistance due to the high crosslink density.