Spin contrast variation study of fuel-efficient tire rubber

Noda, Yohei; Yamaguchi, Daisuke; Hashimoto, Takeji; Shamoto, Shinichi  ; Koizumi, Satoshi; Yuasa, Takeshi*; Tominaga, Tetsuo*; Sone, Takuo*

We have developed a spin contrast variation technique. Our target is hydrogeneous solid materials such as polymer and rubber, which are not easy to be deuterated and can absorb a vapor of a stable free radical, TEMPO, which serves as an electron spin source necessary for high proton spin polarization (P) through dynamic nuclear polarization. By use of this vapor permeation technique, we succeeded in polarizing silica-filled SBR rubber, which is a material for fuel-efficient tire. From the polarized SANS profiles obtained with various P values, we succeeded in separating the partial scattering function of silica, which is considered to be a key factor for the fuel-efficiency.