Polymers and Tyres: A New Insight into Rubber Science and Sustainability

High performance tyres are mainly produced on the basis of silica/silane systems using blends of solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (sSBR) and other polymers. Recent requirements such us tire labeling end low environmental impact are pushing the rubber industry to a great effort in tailoring the polymer molecular architecture and optimizing the filler dispersion and the filler-polymer interaction.

However, these optimization processes are predominantly empirical because of a not complete understanding of structural aspects.Moreover, commercial rubbers have complex structures with respect to model polymers and the response of a compound is strongly affected by changes in the relaxation dynamics of its polymer matrix as a consequence of variations in molecular mass distribution, branching patterns or filler interaction. For this reason it is often difficult to point out the role of the raw polymer in a complex formulation and the commonly used testing procedures are based on simple predictors merely used to rank rubber compounds. An advanced approach may be added for a thorough description of the polymer dynamics and their effect on dissipative behavior of the cross linked network.

In this frame, the behavior of up to date polymers for tyre applications is discussed, as a results of particular polymerization procedures or sustainable strategies through addition of bio-additives. In particular, the use of bio-based materials provides a promising alternative to standard oil and rubber matrices, as supported by comparable mechanical properties and performance predictors.