May 16, 2024
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)
J-PARC
Yamagata University
Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS)
Mie University
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
Discover a mystery of how silica improves the performance of tires by spins of neutron and hydrogen nuclei
— Contribution to high functionality of composite materials through a new technology to observe “hidden interface” —
- [Summary of announcement]
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- Automobile tires improve fuel efficiency by reducing sliding between molecules and increasing elasticity through binding rubber materials to silica nanoparticles.
- To begin with, it is not easy even to mix rubber and silica, let alone to bind them. Therefore, a coupling agent is added. The coupling agent strongly binds to both rubber and silica at the interface to help them bind strongly. However, there used to be no way of verifying such binding by coupling agents.
- In this research, monolayers of coupling agents whose thickness is only 2 nm generated at the interface between rubber and silica were observed by means of the "spin contrast variation neutron reflectivity method" developed by JAEA, which utilizes spins of neutrons and hydrogen nuclei. Moreover, we could determine a molecular-scale bonding state of rubber and silica based on the thickness, composition, and interfacial state of the monolayers.
- The “spin contrast variation neutron reflectivity method” is expected to contribute to research not only on rubber materials but also on interfacial state of various composite materials.
- [Information on article]
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Name of journal: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C Title of article: Interpenetration of Rubber and Silane Coupling Agent on an Inorganic Substrate Revealed by Spin-Contrast-Variation Neutron Reflectivity Names of authors: Takayuki Kumada1,2, Daisuke Iwahara3, Shotaro Nishitsuji3, Kazuhiro Akutsu-Suyama4, Daisuke Miura1, Ryuhei Motokawa1, Tsuyoshi Sugita1, Naoya Torikai5, Naoya Amino6, Takayuki Oku2, and Mikihito Takenaka7 Organizations of affiliation: - 1
- Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency
- 2
- J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency
- 3
- Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University
- 4
- Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS)
- 5
- Graduate School of Engineering, Mie University
- 6
- The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
- 7
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University