In order to make clear the failure mechanism of rubber vulcanizates, the ultimate tensile properties of SBR vulcanizates with and without carbonblack were investigated. To confirm the structure of these vulcanizates the measurements of dynamic modulus, dielectric loss and NMR were performed. From the results, the following conclusions were obtained.
1) In the series of SBR gum vulcanizates with various network chain densities ν
s, the transition temperature increases with increasing ν
s, but the temperature
Tab, at which the maximum ultimate elongation α
b, max, is obtained, scarcely changes. Though α
b, max decreases with increasing ν
s, we cannot establish the relation that α
b, max is linearly related with ν
s,
-1/2 which is assumed from the fully stretched molecular chain and is held in NR gum vulcanizates.
2) In the series of carbonblack-filled SBR vulcanizates, α
b, max changes little with increasing carbonblack fraction φ, but
Tab increases with φ. In addition, “two stage phenomena” in failure envelope appear more clearly with increasing φ.
3) These results, which are mentioned above 1) and 2), are interpreted as follows: In case of pure gum vulcanizates, the relaxation time will be short with increasing ν
s, and in carbonblack-filled vulcanizates, the relaxation time will be long with φ.
4) In case of carbonblack-filled SBR vulcanizates, the bond ruptures mainly occur in rubber matrix, and scarcely occur on the surface of carbonblack. In addition, the proportion of the bond rupture on the filler surfaces is maximum at
Tab.
5) The temperature
TF2, which corresponds to the higher inflection point in failure envelope of the filled rubber vulcanizates, will show the measure of relaxation time, which means the deformation of dense rubber structure around carbonblack or the change of relative position between carbonblack.
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