Mechanical properties, Aging and Outdoor Cracking Resistance of Heavy Duty Tread for Truck and Bus Steelcord Radial Tires, Based on NR and on Synthetic Polyisoprenes of Various Brands

Abstract

The replacement of the natural rubber (NR) in the formulation of Heavy Duty Tread for Truck and Bus Steelcord Radial Tires (TBS/RT) by synthetic IR SKI-3S, released at the manufacturing with the new antiagglomerator of QUANTISLIP® BM-2R trade mark of QUALITET Ltd. production, instead of commonly used aqueous suspension of calcium stearate (CSS), stabilized with non-staining antioxidants (AO’s) of phenolic type (Agidol-1+analog Irgafos 168), does not lead to decreasing of aging resistance and of atmosphere cracking due to synergism of these AO’s and of BM-2R at the inhibition of oxidation processes. The results of equilibrium thermomechanical analysis model peroxide vulcanizates under investigation open the possibilities to explain the increase of strength properties of the TBS/RT tread compound. The results allows to reduce the usage of imported NR by its replacing by SKI-3S, released with BM-2R, in the producing of TBS/RT tread rubber compounds at Tire plants of RF.