High Mechanical Strength, Low Rolling Resistance, and Antiaging Carbon Black Filled Rubbers Enabled by an Aminobenzenethiol Interfacial Modifier

Carbon black (CB) is a critical reinforcing filler in the rubber industry due to its unparalleled cost advantage and outstanding reinforcing effect. CB is widely applied to enhance the modulus, tensile strength, wear resistance, and durability of rubber products, particularly in tires and industrial components. However, the dynamic and static properties of CB-reinforced rubber composites are often compromised by the poor CB dispersion and weak interfacial interactions between the rubber matrix and CB, which are detrimental to the performance of rubber composites, particularly with regard to rolling resistance under dynamic deformation conditions. To address this challenge, a novel interfacial modifier (2-aminobenzenethiol, ABT) was proposed, which is designed to react simultaneously with rubber matrix and CB, greatly enhancing the CB dispersion and the interfacial interactions of rubber composites. Consequently, the ABT-0.5 composite (29.2 MPa) and ABT-1-S2.5 composite (31.4 MPa) exhibited superior tensile strength, relative to the unmodified PIP composite (24.6 MPa). The ABT-1-S2.5 composites exhibit a 25% reduction in rolling resistance compared to PIP. Furthermore, incorporation of the ABT modifier significantly increases the thermo-oxidative stability of the rubber composites. Our findings provide a simple strategy for optimizing CB dispersion and interfacial modification in CB-reinforced rubber composites, ultimately enhancing the critical performance metrics.