본 연구에서는 실리카/고무 복합재료의 기계적 계면 물성과 열안정성에 대한 산소플라즈마의 영향에 대하여 살펴보았다. 실리카의 표면특성은 XPS와 접촉각 측정을 통하여 살펴보았다. 실리카/고무 복합재료의 기계적 물성과 열안정성은 각각 인열에너지 ($G_{IIIC}$)와 열중량분석(TGA)를 통하여 관찰하였다. 실험결과, 플라즈마 처리시간이 증가함에 따라 실리카 표면에 산소가 함유된 극성 관능기의 도입량이 증가하였으며, 이에 따라 고무 복합재료의 인열에너지와 열안정성이 향상되었다. 이러한 결과는 NBR과 같은 극성고무가 산소가 함유된 관능기가 도입된 실리카와 상대적으로 높은 상호작용을 하기 때문으로 판단된다.
In this work, the effect of oxygen plasma treatment of nano-scaled silica on the mechanical interfacial properties and thermal stabilities of the silica/rubber composites was investigated. The surface properties of the silica were studied in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angles. And, their mechanical interfacial properties and thermal stabilities of the composites were characterized by tearing energy ($G_{IIIC}$) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. As a result, it was found that the introduction rate of oxygen-containing polar functional groups onto the silica surfaces was increased by increasing the plasma treatment time, resulting in improving the tearing energy. Also, the thermal stabilities of the composites were increased by increasing the treatment time. These results could be explained that the polar rubber, such as acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), showed relatively a high degree of interaction with oxygen-containing functional groups of the silica surfaces in a compounding system.
