Reinforcement of rubber using radial single-walled carbon nanotube soot and its shock dampening properties

A soot composed of radial single-walled carbon nanotubes (r-SWCNTs), in which 70 nm length nanotubes are grown radially around the core metal particles, and nanohorn-like carbons (NHCs) was used as reinforcement for a styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR). The fracture stress of r-SWCNT soot (38 phr)/SBR was 6.3 MPa at 60% strain. Furthermore, the hardness value of r-SWCNT soot (38 phr)/SBR was 94, which is 1.38 times larger, and larger than carbon black/SBR. Additionally, the resilience of r-SWCNT soot/SBR with 38 phr filler content was markedly lower than 20% in comparison with standard carbon black filler. These results indicate that r-SWCNT soot/SBR possesses excellent kinetic energy absorbing properties.