Polyethyene glycol (PEG) is widely used as a dispersing agent and can also be used to prevent the adsorption of ingredients on the surface of silica. From the XRD results, PEG that was used as the dispersing agent on the SBR/organoclay compound filled with silica and carbon black (CB) was intercalated between the organoclay layer. Additionally, the interactions with the PEG differed depending on whether 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or N,N-dimethyldodecylamine (DDA) were used as clay modifiers. When PEG was added, the T g of the SBR/silica/ APTES-MMT compound increased through the formation of hydrogen bonds between the ether linkages of PEG and the hydroxyl groups of APTES. For the SBR/silica/DDA-MMT compound with PEG, slippage occurred between the silicate, and DDA because of the alkyl chain of DDA. The SBR/ silica/APTES-MMT/CB compound with PEG exhibited the highest T g value and the highest bound rubber content, with high modulus values at 100 and 300%. The SBR/silica/ DDA-MMT/CB compound had the best properties in terms of the wet skid resistance and the rolling resistance.

In this study, the styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR)/N, N‐dimethyldodecylamine‐montmorillonite nanocomposite was prepared with a latex method by applying DDA to Na+‐MMT as a modifier. The dispersion of silica and the dynamic viscoelastic properties of the SBR/silica (60 phr) compound were studied by replacing 7 phr of the silica with organoclay. By the analysis of transmission electron microscopy images and the Payne effect, the dispersion of silica in the SBR/silica (53 phr)/DDA‐MMT (7 phr) compound was further improved as compared to the SBR/silica (60 phr) compound that used only silica as a filler. The Payne effect curve of the SBR/silica/DDA‐MMT compound was close to the curve of the SBR/silica (53 phr) compound. This indicates that organically modified silicate did not form filler–filler networks with silica. Also, the SBR/DDA‐MMT compound filled with silica showed the highest values of Tg and tan δ at 0°C. This result was attributed to the shift of the tan δ curve to the right because of the relatively higher degree of crosslink. Consequently, the SBR/silica/organoclay nanocomposite showed the best skid resistance due to the increase of Tg, and the best rolling resistance due to the reduced filler–filler networks. High 100% and 300% modulus values were also achieved. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013