ABSTRACT
The incorporation of filler changes the fracture behaviour of rubber. Reinforcing carbon black improves failure properties of gum rubber vulcanizates while many others are used as diluent to cheapen rubber compounds. Carbon black increases the hysteresis of rubber vulcanizates quite significantly because of the various energy loss mechanisms through rubber filler debonding, breakdown of carbon black structure. Carbon black filled vulcanizates reveal this phenomenon and their high strength are often ascribed to this reason. A similar trend is obtained for tensile strength which increases with loading and surface area of carbon black. The observations are similar to those for gum vulcanizates. Tear strength of filled elastomers under swollen conditions was reported first by Gent and coworkers. Comparison of wear data of filled and unfilled swollen vulcanizates indicates that the enhancement of abrasion resistance is only twofold due to addition of filler.
