Design of a new generation of sustainable SBR compounds with good trade-off between mechanical properties and self-healing ability

• Published in: European polymer journal 2018-09, Vol.106, p.273-283
• Main Authors: Hernández Santana, Marianella, Huete, María, Lameda, Patricia, Araujo, Javier, Verdejo, Raquel, López-Manchado, Miguel A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bonding strength; Carbon; Carbon black; Chemical bonds; Chemical compounds; Coupling (molecular); Coupling agents; Economic conditions; Economic models; Efficiency; Ground tire rubber (GTR); Mechanical properties; Polymers; Reagents; Rubber; Self healing materials; Self-healing; Silane; Stiffness; Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR); Sustainable; Tradeoffs; Vulcanization
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2018.07.040

Sustainable self-healing SBR compounds with GTR as filler and in presence of a silane coupling agent improve mechanical performance, repair damage and contribute to extend material’s lifetime. [Display omitted] •SBR/GTR compounds combine self-healing properties with good mechanical performance.•Sustainable SBR/GTR compounds repair damage and contribute to extend material’s lifetime.•GTR acts as reinforcing filler in presence of silane, increasing tensile strength up to 80%.•GTR causes no detriment in healing efficiency. Self-healing polymers typically face an enforced trade-off between repairability and mechanical properties, with a high degree of self-healing being achieved mainly by materials having low mechanical strength and stiffness. This study focuses on the development of SBR compounds that can combine together self-healing properties with the use of ground tire rubber (GTR) as alternative sustainable filler. The self-healing efficiency of GTR filled SBR compounds is compared to conventional carbon black filled compounds. The influence of the vulcanization system and the addition of silane-based coupling agents are also assessed. Results show that SBR compounds vulcanized by means of a semi-efficient sulfur based system recover around 50% of their mechanical strength, being the self-healing response related to the presence of disulfide bonds. Contrary to carbon black compounds, GTR samples present similar healing efficiency to the unfilled SBR samples, improving mechanical properties in 50%. Moreover, the coupling agent enhances even more (up to 80%) the mechanical strength of the SBR-GTR compounds without adversely affecting the healing efficiency. These results can thus be seen as a starting model material for developing new sustainable applications economically and environmentally convenient with good mechanical properties as well as healing ability.