Scientists observe the molecular motion of rubber and carbon black in tires

Scientists from European XFEL GmbH have made important breakthroughs in the field of tire compounds, successfully observing the molecular movement of rubber components commonly used in two types of tires, polybutadiene and carbon black, with the world's shortest time resolution. This study not only revealed the significant interaction between the two components on the atomic scale, but also provided a new theoretical basis for improving the degradation process of tire compounds and developing more durable materials.

Tire compounds, as a composite material, usually contain synthetic rubber, such as polybutadiene, and added nanoparticles, such as carbon black, to improve their physical properties. During driving, the tire is subjected to strong forces, causing various components to move against each other, causing wear and degradation of the material. In order to comprehensively evaluate tire performance, it is necessary not only to understand the static structure of complex particle networks, but also to have an in-depth understanding of the interactions between polymers and nanoparticles and their respective movements, because these dynamic characteristics directly affect the performance of the material, especially wear resistance.

Tokushi, a researcher at the European XFEL company Sato said: "We used the newly developed diffractive X-ray scintillation method to simultaneously detect rapid changes in polymer chains and additive nanoparticles on the atomic scale. We observed significant interactions between polybutadiene and carbon black, which suggests that the flowability of polybutadiene is affected by the type of carbon black added." He added that each compound sample contains a different type of carbon black. Experiments have shown that in different carbon black samples, the speed of polybutadiene movement on the surface of carbon black particles is different, while a stronger combination results in better tire performance.

This research results not only provide an improved method for studying the degradation process of tire compounds under laboratory conditions, but also provide an important reference for designing materials with enhanced durability. In addition to European XFEL, research institutes in Japan, Australia and new Zealand, as well as Sumitomo Rubber Industries of Japan, have also conducted similar research in this field.