The Effect of the Structure of Sulfur—Containing Silane Coupling Agents on Their Activity in Silica-Filled SBR

Abstract

A comparative study of α- and γ-functiona1 sulfur-containing silane coupling agents in the silica-filled SBR cured by the conventional sulfur system showed that the influence of the silanes on the vulcanization kinetics and their coupling effectiveness depends on the structure and positioning of the rubber-reactive groups. All the tested silanes containing mercapto or sulfide functional groups led to an improvement in tensile properties and affected the cure kinetics of the system employed.