In situ Grafting onto Silica Surface with Epoxidized Natural Rubber via Solid State Method

Effect of SiO2 Particles on the Relaxation Dynamics of Epoxidized Natural Rubber (ENR) in the Melt State by Time-Resolved Mechanical Spectroscopy

The rheological behavior of an epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) nanocomposite containing 10 wt.% of silica particles was examined by time-resolved mechanical spectroscopy (TRMS), exploiting the unique capability of this technique for monitoring the time-dependent characteristics of unstable polymer melts. The resulting storage modulus curve has revealed a progressive evolution of the elastic component of the composite, associated with slower relaxations of the ENR macromolecular chains. Two major events were identified and quantified: one is associated with the absorption of the epoxidized rubber macromolecules onto the silica surface, which imposes further restrictions on the motions of the chains within the polymer phase; the second is related to gelation and the subsequent changes in rheological behavior resulting from the simultaneous occurrence cross-linking and chain scission reactions within the ENR matrix. These were quantified using two parameters related to changes in the storage and loss modulus components.

COMPARATIVE PROPERTIES OF SILICA- AND CARBON BLACK-REINFORCED NATURAL RUBBER IN THE PRESENCE OF EPOXIDIZED LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMER

This work investigates the effect of epoxidized low molecular weight natural rubber (ELMWNR) in silica- and carbon black-filled natural rubber (NR) compounds on processing and mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties. The ELMWNRs with different mol% epoxide content were prepared from depolymerization of epoxidized NR using periodic acid in latex state to have a molecular weight in a range of 50 000–60 000 g/mol. Their chemical structures and actual mol% of epoxide were analyzed by 1H NMR. The ELMWNRs were added to the filled NR compounds as compatibilizers at varying loadings from 0 to 15 phr. The addition of ELMWNR decreases compound viscosity and the Payne effect, that is, filler–filler interaction, of the silica-filled compound. In the silica–silane compound and the compound with 28 mol% epoxide (ELMWNR-28), the compound viscosities are comparable. The optimal mechanical properties of silica-filled vulcanizates are obtained at the ELMWNR-28 loading of 10 phr. In contrast, the addition of ELMWNR to a carbon black-filled compound shows only a plasticizing effect. The incorporation of ELMWNR into NR compounds introduces a second glass transition temperature and affects their dynamic mechanical properties. Higher epoxide contents lead to higher loss tangent values of the rubber vulcanizates in the range of the normal service temperature of a tire.

New design of shape memory polymers based on natural rubber crosslinked via oxa-Michael reaction

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) based on natural rubber were fabricated by crosslinking epoxidized natural rubber with zinc diacrylate (ZDA) using the oxa-Michael reaction. These SMPs possessed excellent shape fixity and recovery. The glass transition largely accounted for the fixing of the SMPs temporary shape. Increasing the ZDA content allowed the trigger temperature (20-46 °C) and recovery time (14-33 s) of the SMPs to be continuously tuned. Nanosized silica (nanosilica) was incorporated into the neat polymers to further increase the flexibility and tune the recovery stress. The nanosilica-SMPs exhibited exceptionally high strength in a rubbery state (>20 MPa). The nanosilica-SMPs exhibited high transparency, making them suitable in visible heat-shrinkable tubes.