Natural Rubber Compositions With The Partial/Total Replacement Of Carbon Black/Naphthenic Oil By Renewable Additives: Rice Husk Ash And Cashew Nut Oil

The aim of this work was to use additives from renewable sources to develop an elastomeric formulation with reduced environmental impact and lower rolling resistance. Twelve compositions containing various proportions of rice husk ash-RHA (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 phr to replace carbon black [CB]) and a combination of RHA with CB (30CB/10RHA and 20CB/20RHA) using cashew nut oil (3 phr) as a processing aid were prepared and characterized based upon their rheometric and physical-mechanical properties. The combined use of CB and RHA after the silanization process (30CB/10RHAS) increased wet grip by 3.6%, reduced rolling resistance by 17.3%, and improved abrasion resistance by 7.3%. Therefore, the use of these alternative raw materials represents an important contribution for the technological development of rubber compounds, with a combination of durability, safety, economy, and reduction in CO2 emissions. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 48314.