Emulsil® Silica Masterbatch Based on Ultra High Surface Area Silica and Functionalized ESBR: A New Route to High Performance

The use of silica in tire tread applications has been well known to provide critical benefits in rolling resistance and wet traction performance not possible with other fillers.  The standard method of compounding silica in a tire tread requires a careful selection of a silica filler and silica coupling agent(s).  The selection of the silica filler requires compound designers to balance performance with the mixing and processing characteristics of the silica.  For many tire manufacturers achieving that balance means using a highly dispersable silica with CTAB surface area of approximately 160 m2/gm.  The use of higher surface area silica can provide higher reinforcement, and better compound performance, but at the cost of very high compound viscosity and difficult or impossible mixing characteristics.

The Emulsil® Silica Masterbatch technology commercialized by Industrias Negromex (INSA) brings a tool and a solution to the compounder by having a product where the silica is fully reacted and coupled.  The silica masterbatch product’s specific processing benefits include improved consistency and tread uniformity, elimination of alcohol emissions, improved efficiency by reductions in mixing energy, raw materials savings and excellent silica dispersion.

In this presentation we will review the performance of several new Emulsil® silica masterbatch products that include Ultra High surface area silica and unique ESBR polymers that include functionalized components in a variety of tread compounds.  The focus will be on key Tire tread performance properties such as rolling-resistance, wet/dry traction and ice traction.