Reinforcing fillers are added to elastomeric materials to enhance mechanical properties such as the modulus, strength and wear resistance. Einstein's (1906, 1911) viscosity law predicted the viscosity of liquid containing rigid spherical particles. This theory has been modified by Guth and Gold (1938) to predict how the Young's modulus of an elastomer can be related to the volume fraction and shape factor of the filler present in the elastomer. Despite this advance the actual reinforcement mechanism due to carbon fillers is still not fully resolved and continues to be a subject of great interest. Here, finite element analysis techniques have been used to investigate the reinforcement mechanisms further. The results of these models were then compared to experimental results. In the present work, filler particles were modelled to simulate the filler reinforcement behaviour. This was carried out at different volume fractions of fillers. The types of models that are required to accurately predict the correct experimental behaviour can also help identify the nature of the reinforcing mechanisms. For example, the slippage mechanisms at the filler elastomer interface can be examined using this approach. The results of finite element analysis were compared to new and well established theories in this area.
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