The reinforcement of deep eutectic solvents/silica/natural rubber wet acid-free masterbatch on devil's triangle performance of green tires

To solve the problems of poor dispersion of silica in natural rubber, and the mutual constraints between abrasion resistance, rolling resistance and wet skid resistance of green tires, two new green deep eutectic solvents (DES) and the DES-silica/NR wet masterbatch were prepared through acid-free flash drying technology, the effects of DES types and wet mixing technology on Payne effect, mechanical properties and devil's triangle performance prepared from NR/silica basic formula and SSBR/NR/silica semi-steel green tire formula were investigated. FTIR proved that DES improved the dispersion of silica in NR and increased the filler-rubber network structure. In the NR/silica basic formula, the Payne effect decreased, the silanization reaction index and the aging resistance improved after DES replaced Si69, meanwhile, DES1 had higher processing safety and comprehensive performance than DES2. In the SSBR/NR/silica semi-steel green tire formula, compared with dry mixing, DES-silica/NR masterbatch group's Payne effect is reduced by 82%, compression fatigue temperature rise is reduced by 17.5 °C, abrasion resistance and tensile product coefficient are improved by 21% and 28%, respectively, while having lower rolling resistance and higher wet skid resistance, widening the devil's triangle performance of green tires. • Two new green deep eutectic solvents were prepared to improve the dispersion of silica. • The DES-silica/NR wet masterbatch was prepared by wet mixing technology. • The overall properties were improved after DES replaced Si69 in basic formula. • The devil's triangle properties of green tires were enlarged in semi-steel formula.