TY - JOUR
T1 - Thermoreversibly crosslinked silica-rubber composite prepared via melt processing
AU - Cantamessa, F.
AU - Carniato, F.
AU - Fina, A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - This paper addresses the industrially viable and environmentally sustainable preparation of thermoreversibly crosslinked composite rubbers. A maleimide-functionalized silica (Sil-M) is prepared and used as a reinforcement filler and crosslinking agent via Diels-Alders (DA) reaction onto furan-grafted ethylene-propylene rubber (EPRgF). The preparation of composite rubbers is carried out by reactive melt blending to guarantee for industrial scalability and avoiding use of organic solvent. Mechanical properties of EPRgF/Sil-M is compared to unfunctionalized EPRgF/Sil to demonstrate the role of DA crosslinking on mechanical properties. Furthermore, the combination between Sil-M and bismaleimide as a conventional DA crosslinker was investigated, to optimize crosslinking degree and materials performances. Overall, results reported in this paper demonstrate the possibility to develop a new class of recyclable composite rubbers for the substitution of conventional rubbers, that are currently causing major problems in the management of rubber products at their end-of life.
AB - This paper addresses the industrially viable and environmentally sustainable preparation of thermoreversibly crosslinked composite rubbers. A maleimide-functionalized silica (Sil-M) is prepared and used as a reinforcement filler and crosslinking agent via Diels-Alders (DA) reaction onto furan-grafted ethylene-propylene rubber (EPRgF). The preparation of composite rubbers is carried out by reactive melt blending to guarantee for industrial scalability and avoiding use of organic solvent. Mechanical properties of EPRgF/Sil-M is compared to unfunctionalized EPRgF/Sil to demonstrate the role of DA crosslinking on mechanical properties. Furthermore, the combination between Sil-M and bismaleimide as a conventional DA crosslinker was investigated, to optimize crosslinking degree and materials performances. Overall, results reported in this paper demonstrate the possibility to develop a new class of recyclable composite rubbers for the substitution of conventional rubbers, that are currently causing major problems in the management of rubber products at their end-of life.
KW - Diels-Alder crosslinked polymer
KW - Recyclable rubber composite
KW - Silica filler functionalization
KW - Sustainable polymer processing
KW - Thermoreversible crosslinking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150772092&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2023.105552
DO - 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2023.105552
M3 - Article
SN - 1381-5148
VL - 186
JO - Reactive and Functional Polymers
JF - Reactive and Functional Polymers
M1 - 105552
ER -