Plasticization Effect of Bio-Based Plasticizers from Soybean Oil for Tire Tread Rubber

Abstract

Modified soybean oil (MSO) is synthesized from soybean oil (SO) and sulfur, aiming to reduce the double bond quantity of SO and avoid harmful effects on the crosslink density and mechanical properties of rubber. MSO modified with different weight percentages of sulfur is then used to plasticize tire tread rubber (TR). It is found that the crosslink density and modulus of MSO- plasticized rubber are significantly improved compared with that of SO-plasticized TR. MSO modified with 6 wt % sulfur (MSO-6%) exhibits the best plasticization effect on TR, thus, the plasticization effect of MSO-6% on TR was further studied by adjusting its additive content. Thereafter, the Mooney viscosity, Payne effect, mechanical property of different amount of MSO-6% plasticized TR are studied to investigate their plasticization effect. At the same additive content of plasticizer, the plasticization effect of MSO-6% and a commonly used aromatic hydrocarbon plasticizer (AO) is compared to determine the potential application of MSO on tire tread rubber. It is found MSO shows similar plasticization effect on TR compared with AO. More important, the aging resistance property and wear resistance property of MSO-6% plasticized rubber are better than those of AO-plasticized rubber. Therefore, MSO-6% is a promising bio-based plasticizer for tire tread rubber.

Optimization of the Rubber Formulation for Footwear Applications from the Response Surface Method

“…It is interesting that the effect of PO is virtually identical for both CB and CC, even though one is a reinforcing filler and the other is not. The individual effects of these fillers and plasticizing oil on NR hardness agree favorably with those reported elsewhere [ 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. The hardness prediction from this model can be compared to a previous study [ 18 ] investigating the same amount of filler and plasticizer.…”

“…However, this model cannot be used to predict hardness when using different types of rubber and additives [ 2 ]. While other studies [ 13 , 14 , 16 , 17 ] have established the effects of filler and plasticizer on stress-strain behavior relating to hardness, they are unable to compare the value of hardness directly.…”

“…After the compound was cooled to ambient temperature, it was mixed with MBT and sulfur and held at that temperature for 24 h to allow stress relaxation to proceed before vulcanization. The optimal curing time was chosen on the basis of prior reports [ 13 , 14 , 17 ] and in-house NR experience. Each test piece was molded at the same conditions of 150 °C and 150 kg/cm 2 for 10–15 min and subsequently cooled at ambient temperature for 24 h prior to testing.…”

“…A plethora of investigations has aimed at developing NR with designer properties, mostly in connection with the tire industry, by physically adjusting the content of fillers and oil. Increasing the content of carbon black (CB), for example, has been suggested as a means by which to improve the tensile properties, which are frequently related to hardness, of finished rubber, in contrast to increasing the content of a plasticizing oil [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Fillers and plasticizers have also been found to affect the internal energy loss, or equivalently the loss tangent, of elastomers due to internal friction (heat) generated by the material during compression [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”

Rheological, Mechanical and Morphological Characterization of Fillers in the Nautical Field: The Role of Dispersing Agents on Composite Materials

“…At small amplitudes, this structure is able to act as a reinforcement, whereas it gets progressively destroyed upon the application of a greater oscillatory strain, leading to a marked decrease of the material resistance to solicitations. The larger the Payne effect, the greater the extender-extender interactions are at the expenses of those between the extenders and the matrix [ 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. The marked Payne effect shown by samples 1 and 2, similar to that observed for sample 0 (i.e., the reference sample without a dispersing agent), is indicative of the fact that hollow glass microspheres are not efficiently dispersed and can form agglomerates, thus indicating the low efficiency of the ionic dispersing agents.…”