the influence of silica localization on the mechanical behavior of polyamide 6- reclaimed rubber blends

Increasing environmental concerns have made it critically important to develop new recycling routes for worn tires and rubbers. here, reclaimed rubber is used for the purpose of toughening of polyamide 6. silica is employed to act both as a compatibilizer between the rubber and the plastic and also as a reinforcing agent for creating a balance in stiffness and toughness of the blend. surface modification of silica is performed in a systematic way to alter its surface energy at several levels, and to create various possibilities for its thermodynamic localization. based on the wettability coefficient, two silica types were expected to be located at the interface and two others at the rubber bulk phase. results indicated that the level of change in mechancial properties of polyamide by the reclaimed rubber is good and it is comparable to other fresh polar rubbers. the presence of silica at the interface imparts a higher young’s modulus and impact strength to the rubber toughened blend.