Inverse Vulcanization of Vinyltriethoxysilane: A Novel Interfacial Coupling Agent for Silica-Filled Rubber Composites

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01678
• Publication Date: 2022-10-03T09:32:42Z
• Authors: Dong Wang; Zhenghai Tang; Ruoyan Huang; Haoming Li; Chengfeng Zhang; Baochun Guo
• Keywords: Vinyltriethoxysilane; Silanization

Sulfur-containing silane coupling agents (SSCAs) are widely incorporated into silica-filled rubber composites to improve silica dispersion and enhance interfacial adhesion, maximizing the potential of silica. However, SSCA synthesis involves multistep procedures requires organic solvents. In addition, modifying with SSCAs has persistent issues, such as low efficiency uncontrollable structure. Herein, we report facile alkoxysilyl-functionalized polysulfides (SPVs) a tunable molecular structure (sulfur rank alkoxysilyl fraction) via inverse vulcanization vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) copolymer sulfur styrene. SPVs serve modifiers in by separately reacting chains. particular, multiple sites SPV chain increase probability silanization, yielding high composite. Although molar content groups SPV1 (the mass feed ratio VTES is 1) half that most used small-molecules bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide, stronger adhesion better achieved SPV1-modified composites, which consequently lead more improvements on composite properties. advantages an modifier improving "magic triangle" properties practical tread have been demonstrated. More importantly, effects investigated, providing fundamentals for unraveling mechanism guiding property regulation.