Effect of clay on vulcanization, network structure, and technical properties of natural rubber in the presence of silane coupling agents

Abstract

Abstract The presence of silane coupling agents do not cause a change in network structure in clay‐filled natural rubber vulcanizates, both in sulfur vulcanization and peroxide vulcanization systems. However, the improvement in technical properties in the presence of silane coupling agents is more in the peroxide vulcanization system and is accompanied by enhanced polymer—filler interactions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies have been made in order to understand the failure behavior.