Comparison between SBR Compounds Filled with In-Situ and Ex-Situ Silanized Silica.

The main advantages of the use of silica instead of carbon black in rubber compounds are based on the use of a silane coupling agent. The use of a coupling agent to modify the silica surface improves the compatibility between the silica and the rubber. There are two different possibilities of modifying the silica surface by silane: ex-situ and in-situ. The present work studies the differences between these processes and how they affect the in-rubber properties of silica filled SBR compounds.