Micromechanical modeling of the linear viscoelasticity of carbon-black filled styrene butadiene rubbers: The role of the filler–rubber interphase

Micromechanics modeling of the linear viscoelasticity of carbon-black filled styrene butadiene rubbers (SBR) shows that a simple representation of a spherical rigid-phase surrounded by rubber gum and embedded in an homogeneous equivalent medium provides access to the effective volume fraction of fillers. This simple representation is successful for a significant range of filler amount, and for materials in the glassy state. For materials in the rubbery state, experimental results support the existence of a filler–rubber interphase with reduced mobility due to confinement. The 4-phase micromechanics model, which accounts for a bounded rubber layer coating the fillers, provides satisfactory estimates of the linear viscoelasticity of filled rubbers from the rubbery state to the glassy state. It also provides access to the filler–rubber interphase behavior that appears viscoelastic, and to an estimate of the interphase thickness.

► Estimate of the linear viscoelasticity of various carbon-black filled rubbers.
► 3-Phase and 4-phase models micromechanical modeling.
► Estimate of the amount of effective filler.
► Evidence of the role of the filler–rubber interphase.
► Characterization of the behavior and thickness of the filler–rubber interphase.