EFFECT OF ELASTOMER NANOPARTICLES ON IMPROVING THE WET SKID RESISTANCE OF SBR/NR COMPOSITES

Abstract

ABSTRACT How to improve the wet skid resistance of rubber composites for tire tread while decreasing the rolling resistance is very important for both rubber researchers and industry. The irradiation-vulcanized elastomer particles, ultrafine fully-vulcanized powder nitrile butadiene rubber (UFPNBR), having the diameter of about 80 nm, were studied on modifying the dynamic mechanical properties of styrene butadiene rubber/natural rubber (SBR/NR) composites for tire tread. It is notable that the UFPNBR particles can improve the tanδ values of SBR/NR composites in a temperature range from −10 to 20 °C and decrease the tanδ values in the temperature range from 50 to 70 °C simultaneously, which indicates that the UFPNBR particles not only can improve the wet skid resistance but also can reduce the rolling resistance of the SBR/NR composites. On the other hand, the UFPNBR-modified SBR/NR composites also have good dynamic properties for safety operation of tires at high temperature and good tensile strength, tear strength, and fatigue properties in the range of 8 phr UFPNBR loadings.