Reinforcing effect of thermo-oxidative reclaimed rubber on NR/SBR blends for tire tread applications

This study explores the application of thermo-oxidative reclaimed ground tire rubber (RGTR) in natural rubber (NR)/styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composite, focusing on its impact on morphology, mechanical properties, rheological behavior, vulcanization characteristics, aging resistance, tear strength and abrasion resistance.The findings revealed that RGTR enhances the tear strength and abrasion resistance of NR/SBR composites while maintaining comparable tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus.The incorporation of RGTR reduced Mooney viscosity of the NR/SBR composites and improved flowability.It also shortened the vulcanization time and enhanced vulcanization efficiency.The NR/SBR composites with RGTR loadings below 60 phr exhibited optimal performance, achieved a maximum tear strength of 93.77N/mm and improved abrasion resistance.However, higher RGTR content led to increased agglomeration, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed finer dispersion at lower RGTR contents and larger aggregates at higher loadings.These findings demonstrate the potential of RGTR as a sustainable additive for enhancing specific properties in NR/SBR composites, contributing to both performance optimization and waste tire management.