Poly(butadiene-graft-pentafluorostyrene) As a Coupling Agent in Rubber Compounding

Poly(butadiene-graft-pentafluorostyrene) as a Coupling Agent in Rubber Compounding

Nicole Swanson^a, Prasad Raut^b, Dr. Kushal Bahl^b, Dr. Coleen Pugh^a, Dr. Sadhan C. Jana^b

^aDepartment of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3909

^bDepartment of Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-0301

ABSTRACT

            Reinforcing fillers are necessary in rubber compounding to aid in enhancing the mechanical properties of the compound for various applications.  Carbon black (CB) is currently the most common reinforcing filler used in tire compounding.  Lignin, an amorphous polyphenolic material derived from plants and a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, is also an attractive material that can serve as a dispersant and as a reinforcing filler.  This paper evaluates the interactions between polybutadiene (PB) rubber and reinforcing fillers with an electron-rich π-system, such as lignin and CB, in the presence of a graft copolymer of PB and electron-deficient 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene (PFS). The interactions are attributed to arene-perfluoroarene interactions between the electron-deficient π-system of the polyperfluoroarene grafts and the electron-rich π-system of lignin and/or CB particles. The effects of improved filler-rubber interactions on mechanical properties and dynamic mechanical properties are analyzed.