Preparation and performance of natural rubber latex treatment for silica filled natural rubber composites

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Abstract
Natural rubber latex filled with silica can be used to prepare low‐cost green tires with low rolling resistance. However, low mixing efficiency and reduction of properties have become the major difficulty in the industry, because there are many polar groups on the surface of silica, and it is difficult to produce a strong interaction with a nonpolar rubber. In this paper, natural rubber latex masterbatch with silica was prepared, and easily mixed with natural rubber (NR) to obtain NR/silica composites. The silica after NRL treated in the rubber matrix characterized with well dispersion, good compatibility with rubber, and composites had weaker Payne effect and higher wet‐skid resistance. Meanwhile, the 100% and 300% tensile modulus increased by 8.5% and 14.47%, respectively, notably decreasing heat build‐up by 41.88%, compared to the composite prepared by dry mixing technology. Overall, both the dispersion and interfacial adhesion of silica in the rubber matrix have a significant synergistic effect on the properties of rubber composites. The strategy of preparing NR/silica composites provides new research avenues for the preparation of green tires and other rubber industries in the future.

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