A step towards a green and sustainable method to understand the effect of glucose on a silica filled natural rubber composite

Abstract

In the present scenario, the world is concerned about producing more environmentally friendly and sustainable products by reducing the carbon footprint, especially in elastomer products. Therefore, the incorporation of maximum naturally produced white fillers like silica into a naturally originated elastomer, i.e., natural rubber (NR), is the ultimate aim of most of the rubber industries. However, adding a bio-based carbohydrate (glucose) into a silica-filled NR matrix facilitates the dispersion of the silica filler into NR, making the product greener and more sustainable. The interaction between the functional groups (amine) of NR and carbonyl groups of glucose is known as the Maillard reaction, which interestingly exhibited a significant improvement in both mechanical and dynamic properties of the NR vulcanizates due to the superior dispersion of silica in the NR matrix, as confirmed by detailed FIB-SEM and AFM analyses. The contribution of the Maillard reaction to crosslinking and network formation between the polymer–polymer and polymer–filler is validated by an in-depth rubber state ¹³C NMR study.