INFLUENCE OF FILLERS ON SEMI-EFFICIENT VULCANIZED NATURAL RUBBER: DYNAMIC PROPERTIES AND HEAT BUILDUP

Abstract

ABSTRACT Carbon black and silica have long been recognized as reinforcing fillers, but their effect on the dynamic properties and heat buildup of vulcanizates is rarely reported. Therefore, natural rubber composites filled by carbon black with different particle size and silica were prepared. The Payne effect and heat buildup progressively decrease with an increase of carbon black particle size because of weaker filler network structure and better dispersion, the N754 filled sample in particular shows the lowest value, only 4.7 °C. The tensile strength and tear strength of composites all increase with the reducing carbon black particle size. SiO2-filled composites exhibit obvious Payne effects and inferior mechanical properties; at high strains (>10%), tan δ of SiO2-filled composites surpasses all that of carbon black–filled composites, due to the surface silanol groups on the silica surface and due to the decreased cross-link density.