{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T18:32:36Z","timestamp":1787337156354,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,4]],"date-time":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614816000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Shandong Natural Science Excellent Youth Fund","award":["ZR2019YQ22"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ZR2019YQ22"]}]},{"name":"Introduction and Cultivation Plan of Young Innovative Talents in Colleges and Universities of Shandong Province","award":["2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2019"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The viscoelastic behavior and reinforcement mechanism of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an interfacial modifier in green tire tread composites were investigated in this study. The results show a clear positive effect on overall performance, and it significantly improved all the parameters of the \u201cmagic triangle\u201d properties, the abrasion resistance, wet grip and ice traction, as well as the tire rolling resistance, simultaneously. For the preparation of the compounds, two mixing steps were used, as PEG 4000 was added on the second stage in order to avoid the competing reaction between silica\/PEG and silanization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that PEG could cover the silanol groups on the silica surface, resulting in the shortening of cure times and facilitating an increase of productivity. At low content of PEG, the strength was enhanced by the improvement of silica dispersion and the slippage of PEG chains, which are chemically and physically adsorbed on silica surface, but the use of excess PEG uncombined with silica in the compound, i.e., 5 phr, increases the possibility to shield the disulfide bonds of bis(3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl) tetrasulfide (TESPT), and, thus, the properties were deteriorated. A constrained polymer model was proposed to explain the constrained chains of PEG in the silica-loaded composites on the basis of these results. An optimum PEG content is necessary for moderately strong matrix\u2013filler interaction and, hence, for the enhancement in the mechanical properties.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym13050788","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,5]],"date-time":"2021-03-05T00:39:07Z","timestamp":1614904747000},"page":"788","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Synergistic Effect by Polyethylene Glycol as Interfacial Modifier in Silane-Modified Silica-Reinforced Composites"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Minghan","family":"Xu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education\/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science &amp; Technology, Qingdao 266042, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hao","family":"Xue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education\/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science &amp; Technology, Qingdao 266042, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wit Yee","family":"Tin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education\/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science &amp; Technology, Qingdao 266042, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"He","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education\/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science &amp; Technology, Qingdao 266042, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhanfu","family":"Yong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education\/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science &amp; Technology, Qingdao 266042, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qingfu","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education\/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science &amp; Technology, Qingdao 266042, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compositesa.2016.03.029","article-title":"The filler\u2013rubber interface and reinforcement in styrene butadiene rubber composites with graphene\/silica hybrids: A quantitative correlation with the constrained region","volume":"86","author":"Lin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Compos. 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