Re-think” sulfur curing – part 2

The first part of the paper “re-think” sulfur curing” shows that sulfur curing in a high-vinyl SSBR compound follows a different mechanism than in NR. A direct radical coupling preferably to vinyl takes place. In the second part, the impact of the presence of carbon black, silica / silane and DPG on the mechanism of sulfur curing in SSBR is further investigated. Based on these findings, future tire tread compounds don’t require the addition of activators and DPG. This enables the production of cheaper greener tires which release much less harmful substances in the environment.