SILICA GRAFTED WITH EPOXIDIZED LIQUID POLYBUTADIENES: EVIDENCE FOR THE MECHANISM OF REINFORCEMENT

Precipitated silica with backbone epoxidized liquid polybutadiene grafted onto its surface has recently been presented as a new reinforcement material that requires significantly less energy to disperse in comparison wtih the traditional in situ silanization process. This potentially provides better traction and hard-handling performance in car tire treads, without greatly increasing rolling resistance. The purpose of this study was to seek...