The tear characteristics of rubber can be improved by filling with ball-shaped filler (Exa. carbon black). We focused on the effect of vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF) filler on rubber tear characteristics. An experiment was conducted to study the tear strength of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) filled with various concentrations of carbon black (CB) and vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF). A trouser-leg tear test was used to determine tear initiation strength. VGCF has hardness similar to that of carbon black (CB). It was found that the rubber tear strength increased with increasing VGCF concentration (only VGCF filling), and the sample tensile strength was degraded by filling with VGCF. The appropriate filling ratio of VGCF and CB was also found to be necessary to reinforce the rubber tear strength.
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