One of the methods to improve the properties of tread rubber materials is to synthesize functionalized rubber polymers by introducing different kinds of functional groups. In this work, we report the preparations of a variety of novel linear functionalized liquid polymers using an anionic polymerization that introduces nitrogen-containing functional groups or short functional blocks into the polymer chains. The functional groups can be either located at the end of the polymer chain or dispersed in the middle of the chain structure. We found that adding 5 phr of these synthesized polymers into TBR tread compounds can significantly improve the compatibility between carbon black and the rubber matrix. As a result, the resulting rubber materials display excellent tensile strength, rolling resistance and wet traction. In addition, we used a similar polymerization method that includes a post-solution self-assembly step of living macromolecules to prepare several stellate branched functionalized polymers. Our results show that the stellate branched functionalized polymers can have better processing properties than the linear counterparts.

Preparation of novel functionalized polymers for improving rubber properties

ACS Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting

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