Studies on peroxide vulcanization of silica-filled EPDM rubber in presence of vinyl silane coupling agent

The effect of vinyltris (2-methoxyethoxy) silane (hereafter referred to as A-172) on peroxide-vulcanization, rubber-filler interaction, network structure and fracture mode of EPDM rubber vulcanizate has been studied by chemical analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A-172 decreases the Mooney viscosity and increases the Mooney scorch time, thus showing improvement in processibility. Rubber-filler interaction and apparent crosslink density increase in the presence of A-172, which is reflected in the technical properties studied. Analyses of fracture surfaces by SEM show the reduction of hydrophilicity of silica filler and its subsequent improved compatibility with hydrophobic hydrocarbon rubber.