Cure kinetics and the final performance of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer (SBS)/silica nanocomposites followed by vulcanization are analyzed. The results indicated that the presence of silica affects the curing reaction of SBS, and additional heating is required for complete vulcanization of SBS/silica nanocomposites due to their higher activation energy. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and tensile test methods. The tensile strength, hardness, and wear resistance of SBS/silica nanocomposites show considerable increases by incorporating different silica nanoparticle contents in the SBS matrix; however, silica nanoparticles cause a decrease in modulus and elongation at break compared to cured neat SBS.
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