Carbon Black Structure in Rubber

Abstract

Abstract Some of the properties of carbon blacks in rubber are ascribed to its “structure”. This paper presents results on the sinusoidal dynamic straining of rubber/carbon black vulcanizates over an amplitude range including strains less than 0.1% and suggests that an elucidation of structure effects and the nature of the structure underlying them is forthcoming from these results. The dynamic properties are profoundly modified by special processing. Heat treatment of stocks containing structural carbon blacks and particularly the use of N-methyl-N,4-dinitrosoaniline can greatly reduce structure effects. They are absent with attrited blacks. Similar results have been obtained with silica fillers, for which certain metal soaps virtually eliminate structure effects. Structure effects are shown to be not essentially related to the rubber network, including the type of rubber, but to be due to a physical, three-dimensional structure of the filler itself within the rubber; the rubber acts merely as a dispersing medium and a matrix to allow the filler structure to re-form after breakdown. These changes of the filler structure are often the major cause of hysteresis at low extensions. Mixtures of carbon black and organic liquids demonstrate the existence and properties of the physical carbon black structure in absence of rubber. The properties of the rubber have the structural effects of the filler superimposed upon them.