Evaluation of BR Blending Methods for ESBR/silica Wet Masterbatch Compounds

Wet masterbatch (WMB) technology is studied to develop high-content and highly disperse silica-filled com-pounds. This technology refers to the solidification of surface-modified silica with a rubber solution or latex. Until now, researchs based on styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)/silica WMB has been mainly performed. However, the blend-ing of SBR/ silica WMB and BR is not known and is currently under research and development. Therefore, in this study, the BR blending method suitable for emulsion (ESBR)/silica WMB is investigated by measuring their cure characteristics and the mechanical and dynamic viscoelastic properties. As a result, it was confirmed that the blending of ESBR/silica WMB and BR/silica dry masterbatch is most appropriate. However, it showed a disadvantage compared with the conventional mixing method, which was due to the surfactant remained and the sulfuric acid used as the coagulant.