Quantitative determination of low strain amplitude dynamic functions of carbon black filled rubber vulcanizates by statistical analysis of the black secondary agglomeration network

Abstract

AbstractDeformational breakdown of the secondary agglomeration network, a carbon black aggregate chain association readily formed in rubber matrix and held together by van der Waals forces, is treated statistically. Consistent with observation, the resulting expressions for low strain amplitude dependence of the black filled vulcanizates' dynamic functions, i.e. the storage and loss moduli, provide means for determination of characteristic aggregate chain scission energies. The proposed approach additionally accounts for effects of filler content and temperature, the latter permitting evaluation of van der Waals bond dissociation activation energies, if the black chain scission process is assumed to be thermally activated.