Spin-contrast-variation small-angle neutron scattering study of fully and partially swollen silica-filled rubber

We have elucidated the polymer adsorption layer structure in filler–rubber systems by conducting spin-contrast-variation small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) on partially and fully swollen filler–rubber samples with and without a silane coupling agent. In spin-contrast-variation SANS, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) was used to polarize protons and change their scattering length with respect to polarized neutron beams significantly. SANS measurements were performed in dynamically polarized states using a DNP cryostat (1.2 K and 3.35 T). From SANS profiles obtained at various proton spin polarizations, partial scattering functions (PSFs) for each component were separated by regarding each sample as a three-component system composed of silica, polymer and deuterated toluene. To analyze the obtained PSFs in detail, we built a structure model for the silica aggregates and the surrounding polymer adsorption layer. Numerical calculation based on this model successfully reproduced the experimentally obtained PSFs, providing the structural parameters of the silica aggregates and polymer adsorption layer. The results showed a considerable difference in structural parameters between the partially and fully swollen states. For the sample with the silane coupling agent, the thickness of the polymer adsorption layer decreased as the solvent fraction increased. The difference in polymer volume fraction between the polymer adsorption layer and the outside matrix was very small in less swollen states but significant in the fully swollen state. Furthermore, the scattering contribution of the polymer chains in the solvent was accurately separated via contrast variation. In the swollen silica-filled rubber without the silane coupling agent, the size of the polymer-dense regions was almost constant, regardless of the swelling ratio. By contrast, in the swollen silica-filled rubber with the silane coupling agent, the size of the polymer-dense regions significantly increased by a factor of 2 with an increase in the swelling ratio.