It has been commonly acknowledged that particle dispersion and interfacial interactions are vital in determining the ultimate performance of polymer composites. However, the interplay between dispersibility and interfacial interaction in polymer composites has not been explicitly unraveled. In this contribution, a series of silica with controlled surface chemistry are prepared to reveal the effects of subtle change in surface property of filler on the structures and mechanical performance of the rubber composites. On the basis of thermodynamic theory, the dispersibility of modified silica in rubber is quantitatively evaluated by using surface energy. The modified silica was introduced into styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) to investigate the effects of surface modification on the dispersion of silica and interfacial interaction of the rubber composites. It has been demonstrated that subtle change in surface chemistry of silica drastically improves its dispersibility in rubber matrix, leading to much improved accessible surfaces and hence much complete interfacial reaction. At very low grafting content (0.2 molecule/nm2), improved modulus (44%) and wet-traction (54%), together with reduced rolling-resistance (11%), are concurrently observed.
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