Influence of Aromatic Content in Rubber Processing Oils on Viscoelastic Behaviour and Mechanical Properties of Styrene-Butadiene-Rubber for Tyre Tread Applications

In the present study, experiments have been carried out to investigate the effects of aromatic and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PCAs) contents in rubber processing oils (RPOs) on the processability and mechanical properties of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) compounds and vulcanisates. Results obtained suggest that, as expected, the presence of RPOs leads to a decreased compound viscosity, and thus an enhanced processability. By incorporating the RPOs into SBR compounds, some mechanical properties, including elongation at break and tear strength, of cured SBR can be improved, particularly for the RPOs with high aromatic content. This is believed to be attributed to the increased compatibility of aromatic containing RPOs and the SBR matrix. Nevertheless, the aromatic and PCA contents play an insignificant role on the crosslink density and bulk viscosity of the rubber compounds as well as the hardness and compression set of the rubber vulcanisates.