(185y) Effects of Hydrocarbon Resins on the Performance of Silica-Filled Styrene-Butadiene Rubber and Butadiene Rubber Blend

To improve the performance of green tires, we investigated the effect of a hydrocarbon resin on the dynamic properties of a silica-filled tread compound. We first determined the Hansen solubility parameters of the hydrocarbon resin to evaluate the miscibility of the resin with styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and butadiene rubber (BR). The miscibility is also verified by measuring the glass transition(Tg) tepmeratures of the blends of the resin and the rubbers using DSC and DMA. The dispersion of silica in the model tread compound was measured by SAXS (small angle x-ray scattering) while the rubber/resin distribution in the compound was observed by AFM (atomic force microscopy). We found that addition of a moderate amount of resin in the tread compound can improve both the wet traction and the rolling resistance. The role of the resin to the tire performance will be discussed based on its effect on the Tg of the tread compound and its effect on the slica dispersion.