A new generation of green rubber plasticizer: Study on the application of liquid polybutadiene rubber in green radial tread rubber

Abstract Liquid rubber, an environmentally friendly oligomer with low viscosity, exhibits the capability of co‐crosslinking within the rubber matrix. In this paper, liquid butadiene rubber (LPBD) is employed to replace the plasticizer‐treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) in the green tread rubber. The results demonstrate the superior performance of LPBD compared to TDAE, particularly in terms of tensile strength at both high and room temperature, elongation at break, and rebound properties. Although the increase in DIN abrasion volume and loss factor at 60°C is relatively smaller, and the hardness is reduced in the case of equal replacement of TDAE, these performance improvements can be achieved by adjusting the crosslink density to achieve comparable results with TDAE plasticizer usage. In summary, LPBD can replace TDAE, reduce rolling resistance, and improve wet skid resistance, offering a promising solution to the long‐standing issue of plasticizer pollution in the rubber industry. Highlights Feasibility of using LPBD instead of TDAE as a plasticizer in the green tread rubber. Crosslinking of LPBD and rubber matrix improves mechanical properties at high temperature. Adjustment of crosslinked network improves wet skid resistance and rolling resistance.