Organoclay, was applied as a filler, in place of carbon black and silica, to a natural rubber (NR)/butadiene rubber (BR) blend. A compounding method was used to disperse and separate the layered silicates. The effect of a coupling agent on the vulcanizates was evaluated using both the silica and organoclay filled compounds. After the compounding processes were completed, the XRD diffraction peaks disappeared, but then reappeared after vulcanization. The scorch times for the organoclay-filled compounds were very short compared to those for carbon black and silica-filled compounds. The organoclay-filled compounds showed high values of tensile strength, modulus, tear energy, and elongation at the break. When ranked by viscosity, the compounds appeared in the following order: silica > silica (Si-69) > organoclay > organoclay (Si-69) > carbon black. Fractional hysteresis, tensile set, and wear rates were very consistent with the viscosity of the vulcanizates. The Si 69 coupling agent increased reversion resistance, the maximum torque values in the ODR, modulus, and wear resistance, but decreased elongation at the break, fractional hysteresis, and tension set of the vulcanizates.

Nanoprene is made from chemically cross-linked rubber particles, and has many hydroxyl groups on the surface of the particles. It is speculated that the Nanoprene could reduce the silica-silica network formation by introducing hydrogen bonding between the silanol group of silica and the hydroxyl group of Nanoprene. In this study, the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica compounds with two types of the Nanoprene (BM75OH, BM15OH) were evaluated and it could be well explained by the concept of the volume fraction of filler or the volume fraction of rubber. If the Nanoprene applied to the compound is considered as a kind of filler, the minimum torque values and bound rubber contents of the un-vulcanized compounds, the swelling ratio and the stress-strain relationship of the vulcanized compounds could be well explained by the volume fraction of filler (phi(F)). If Nanoprene is considered as a kind of rubber such as SBR, the properties such as peak tan delta, Payne effect, tan delta at 0 degrees C and 60 degrees C, and abrasion resistance could be well explained by the volume fraction of rubber (phi'(R)). However, the improvement of silica dispersion by addition of the Nanoprene particles in the compounds was not significant. The application of BM75OH as a polymer to the tread compound will be suitable for winter tires. In addition, the compound with BM15OH as an additive will be suitable as a tread compound for summer tires.