The Development of Sulphur-Functional Silanes as Coupling Agents in Silica-Reinforced Rubber Compounds. Their Historical Development over Several Decades

Abstract

Where silica is used as an active filler in rubber vulcanisates, a bifunctional silane has to be added to achieve the full reinforcement potential in almost all cases. Sulphur vulcanisation is the crosslinking method of choice in many fields of application, particularly because of the outstanding dynamic properties of the resulting parts. Since sulphur-functional silanes are able to participate directly in sulphur vulcanisation, this substance class has become the preferred coupling agent for the sulphur-based vulcanisation of silica-filled rubber compounds. This paper outlines in four stages the history of sulphur-silane development over the last few decades.