DYNAMIC-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND MORPHOLOGY OF SILICA-REINFORCED BUTADIENE RUBBER BY THE SOL-GEL PROCESS

Dynamic mechanical properties of high-cis butadiene rubber were invest igated, The butadiene was grafted with alkoxysilane monomer and reinfo rced with in situ-formed silica by the sol-gel process, Tan delta at r oom temperature was not increased with growing silica content. A homog eneous dispersion of very small silica particles was found by TEM obse rvation, These results suggest that well-dispersed silica particles ar e effective not only as reinforcing fillers, but also as crosslinking points which give rise to an elastomeric network structure of low dyna mic loss.