Preparation and physical properties of polybutadiene grafted onto silica

Abstract

Polybutadiene grafted to silica (PG) was prepared by the reaction of living polybutadiene with chlorinated silica. The graft efficiency was below 10%. PG and PG–commercial butadiene rubber blend were cured with sulfur. In either vulcanizate, the following phenomena were found as compared with the controlled samples: tensile modulus increased, degree of swelling and elongation lowered, and tensile strength unchanged. These results showed nearly the same tendency as had been found in the case of the rubber compounded with silica which was treated by coupling agents. In spite of a high tensile modulus of PG vulcanizate, it resulted in a lowering of the dynamic modulus compared with the controlled sample.