Preparation of chitosan‐based macromolecular synergistic antioxidants containing hindered phenolic and secondary amine structures and its effects on thermo‐oxidative aging of styrene‐butadiene rubber/silica composites

Abstract In this study, chitosan (CS)‐based macromolecular synergistic antioxidant CS‐UC‐TDAA containing carbon–carbon double bond, hindered phenol, and aromatic secondary amine was prepared by using CS,10‐undecenoyl chloride (UC), p‐aminobenzoic acid (AA), 3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde (TD) via esterification, Schiff base reaction, and acylation reaction. The molecular structure of CS‐UC‐TDAA was characterized by fourier transform infrared, 1 H NMR, and elemental analysis. The effects of macromolecular synergistic antioxidant CS‐UC‐TDAA, small molecular antioxidant TDAA, commercial antioxidant 4020, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on the antiaging properties of styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR)/SiO 2 composites were systematically studied by accelerated thermo‐oxidative aging test, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and methanol Soxhlet extraction experiment. The experimental results show that CS‐UC‐TDAA has more outstanding thermo‐oxidative aging resistance, thermal stability, and solvent extraction resistance in SBR/SiO 2 composites than TDAA, 4020, and BHT. The macromolecular synergistic antioxidant CS‐UC‐TDAA endows SBR/SiO 2 composites with more durable antiaging performance, which is attributed to the synergistic antioxidant effect of its hindered phenol and aromatic secondary amine groups. Additionally, its resistance to migration and extraction is facilitated by the crosslinking of the carbon–carbon double bond with the rubber and its substantial molecular weight.