Paper number 226

THE INFLUENCE OF FIBER ASPECT RATIO ON THE TENSILE AND TEAR PROPERTIES OF SHORT-FIBER REINFORCED RUBBER

D. J. Lee and S. R. Ryu

School of Mechanical Eng., Yeungnam University, Gyungsan, Gyungbuk, Korea

Summary

Both tensile and tear properties of short-fiber reinforced Chloroprene rubber have been studied as a function of fiber aspect ratio and volume content. Both properties increased with the fiber aspect ratio and fiber content. The fiber reinforced rubbers exhibited maximum properties at a fiber aspect ratio of about 300. For rubber with a fiber aspect ratio over 400, the properties of fiber reinforced rubbers decreased with fiber content because of a dispersion problem during the mixing. It was found that the ultimate tensile strength, torque, tearing energy and tensile modulus of the bonding agent treated rubbers were higher than that of omitted ones. Also, the interphase conditions have an important affect on the dilution ratio and critical fiber content.

Keywords

rubber, fiber aspect ratio, fiber content, bonding agent, tensile modulus, tearing energy, dilution effect, interphase.