Self‐flocculation and its mechanism of natural rubber latex by accelerant‐modified silica

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, an accelerant with vulcanization‐promoting and silanization‐promoting effects, 1,3‐diphenylguanidine (DPG), is loaded on green filler silica by high‐energy ball milling technology. Meanwhile, DPG breaks the ionization equilibrium of latex and realizes the self‐flocculation. The DPG‐induced self‐flocculation technology promotes the dispersion of silica and the silanization reaction, forming more complete filler‐rubber network and three‐dimensional crosslinking network. X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis results show that the ball milling technology makes DPG strongly adsorbed on the surface of silica, and the loading rate is 14.4%. Compared with dry mixing, the ball milling‐self‐flocculation technology increase the silanization index, tensile strength and aging coefficient by 8%, 31%, and 19%, respectively. The curing rate is improved, and the rolling resistance is the lowest. This research provides a green flocculation technology of the raw materials in formula without other flocculants and acidic wastewater discharge, avoiding the serious dust pollution and high energy consumption in the dry mixing process, as well as the poor aging resistance of rubber in the acid flocculation process of latex.