High-performance volatile organic compounds free silica-filled butadiene rubber green nanocomposites using ionic liquid peroxide vulcanization

Manufacturing green rubber nanocomposites with higher performance and without volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a big bottleneck for academics and the industry. Bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) tetra sulfide or Si69 silane is the most commonly used for green tires while during tire production it releases VOCs which are dangerous for people's health. Herein we elucidate that ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate can mediate physical and chemical reactions among silica and butadiene rubber (BR) and replace Si69 to fabricating rubber nanocomposites with free VOCs cured by Dicumyl peroxide (DCP). The findings reveal that IL chemically reacts with BR and that combining IL and Si69 shows similar tensile properties (phi = 0.079-0.147) and higher strain at break in comparison with that containing Si69. Moreover, IL synergistically impacts silica-filled BR nanocomposites viscoelastic, thermal, and dielectric properties. It influences the Payne effect by reducing loss modulus improving weak strain overshoot markedly (the Delta G''/G '' 0 and tan delta 0 values of the vulcanizate containing IL/Si69 are 465% higher and 42.8% lower than that containing Si69) and thermal stability and dielectric properties. Compared with BR nanocomposites containing Si69 at the same amount, IL significantly reduces the tangent value and dissipation energy, providing a simple method to fabricate green rubber nanocomposites with tunable reinforcement behaviors.