The role of silica and carbon-silica dual phase filler in a novel approachto the high temperature stabilisation of natural rubber based composites

A variety of solutions to the problem of high temperature stabilisation of natural rubber (NR)/carbon-silica dual phase filler (CSDPF) composites have been compared. Enhancement in stabilisation performance was observed when a small amount of silica (5.5 phr) was added to a carbon black filled (50 p hr) formulation containing a conventionally added stabiliser system (polyme rised 1,2-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethylquinoline and N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N-phen yl-p-phenylene diamine). However, the most successful approach was the form ation of a novel filler-coupled stabiliser which was based on poly(hydromet hyl siloxane) grafted with N-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (PPDA). The stabil isation performance was followed via monitoring of loss in tensile strength as a function of ageing time. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re served.