Microstructure and Performance of Green Tire Tread Based on Epoxidized Solution Polymerized Styrene Butadiene Rubber and Epoxidized Natural Rubber

Blending a solution of polymerized styrene–butadiene rubber (SSBR) with natural rubber (NR) as a matrix and silane coupling agent (SCA) modified silica as filler is widely used to prepare green tire tread. However, it is difficult to adjust the distribution of silica in different phases of a rubber blend by SCA. Moreover, the coupling reaction between silica and SCA emits volatile organic compounds. In this work, we use a new strategy to improve the distribution of silica in two phases without a SCA. Epoxidized SSBR (ESSBR) and epoxidized NR (ENR) are synthesized, and the performance of silica-filled ESSBR/ENR nanocomposite (S-ESSBR12/ENR) is investigated and compared with that of silica-filled SSBR/NR nanocomposite (S-Si75-SSBR/NR) using Si75 as the SCA. The S-ESSBR12/ENR nanocomposites have stronger interfacial interaction that results in better silica dispersion than the S-Si75-SSBR/NR nanocomposite. The epoxy groups can effectively adjust the phase selective distribution of silica. The S-ESSBR12/ENR18 nanocomposite shows homogeneous distribution, leading to the best performance. Compared with S-Si75-SSBR/NR nanocomposite, S-ESSBR12/ENR18 nanocomposite increases wet-skid resistance by 118%, reinforcing index by 38%, and abrasion resistance by 40% and decreases rolling resistance by 23%. Moreover, S-ESSBR12/ENR nanocomposites are eco-friendly and have potential application in the production of green tire treads.