Investigation of a novel method for selecting filled SBR vulcanizates with high durability based on fatigue crack-growth properties

Abstract

A novel method for selecting filled styrene-butadiene rubbers (SBRs) with high durability based on fatigue crack-growth (FCG) properties was investigated. Pure-shear specimens fabricated from eleven SBRs filled with carbon black (CB) and silica (SC) with varying filler contents were prepared and then, their FCG tests were conducted in air at room temperature. Fatigue lives for simple-tension specimens subjected to cyclic loading were predicted from the experimental FCG-test results and rubber materials with high durability were selected based on the predicted fatigue curves. Considering both strain- and stress-controlled conditions, the predicted fatigue curves were constructed with strain-energy density ranges. According to those curves, SBRs filled with the SC content of 20% and the CB content of 15% were selected as rubber materials with higher durability.