Method for making functionalized silica for rubber masterbatch

A method for making a functionalized silica in a dry process comprising:

• dry mixing a first silane coupling agent with a silica forming a functionalized silica, the first silane coupling agent comprising:
• an organosilane derived from an organic silane having the structure:
• Z1Z2Z3Si(CH2)yX(CH2)ySIZ1Z2Z3, and Z1, Z2, and Z3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, an alkoxy, a halogen, and a hydroxyl, having the formula:
• and wherein X is a functional group, including at least one of:
• an amino group, a polyamino alkyl group, a mercapto group, a polysulfide, a thiocyanoto group, an epoxy group, a halogen, an acryloxy group, a vinylic, a cycloalkyl, an aliphatic, an aromatic, and a methacryloxy group and the Y is an integer equal to or greater than 0;
• while simultaneously dry mixing a second silane coupling agent with the silica having the first silane coupling agent, the second silane coupling agent comprising:
• an organosilane derived from an organic silane having the structure:
• Z1Z2Z3Si(CH2)yX(CH2)ySIZ1Z2Z3, and Z1, Z2, and Z3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of:
• a hydrogen, an alkoxy, a halogen, and a hydroxyl, having the formula:
• and wherein X is a functional group, including at least one of:
• an amino group, a polyamino alkyl group, a mercapto group, a polysulfide, a thiocyanoto group, an epoxy group, a halogen, an acryloxy group, a vinylic, a cycloalkyl, an aliphatic, an aromatic, and a methacryloxy group and the Y is an integer equal to or greater than 0;
• and
• mixing the plurality of silanes with the silica for an amount of time, and at a temperature, to form the functionalized silica in a dry process.