Influence of untreated and novel electron beam modified surface coated silica filler on rheometric and mechanical properties of ethylene-octene copolymer

Surface modified silica fillers have been developed by coating these with a silane coupling agent, triethoxyvinyl silane (TEVS) followed by electron beam irradiation at room temperature. These have been incorporated in an ethylene-octene copolymer rubber. Rheometric, mechanical, volume swelling and aging properties of the gum as well as the filled elastomers have been studied in details. A significant improvement in the above properties has been noticed for these vulcanizates, which clearly emphasizes that novel surface modified silica improves polymer-filler adhesion by the introduction of covalent bonds between the filler surface and the rubber chains. Filler-filler and polymer-filler interactions have been quantified with the help of a mathematical model correlating the modulus and the volume concentration of filler. The influence of electron beam treatment on silanized silica filler has also been demonstrated from the above model.