Enhanced abrasion resistance of NR/BR/TBIR composites through the synergistic reinforcement of carbon black and graphene oxide: Structural influence and mechanistic insights

Abstract Carbon black (CB) with different structural parameters together with graphene oxide were formed into uniformly dispersed filler network for enhancing the abrasion resistance of natural rubber/cis‐1,4‐polybutadiene rubber/trans‐1,4‐poly(isoprene‐butadiene) rubber blended composites. It showed that the CB structural parameters, such as specific surface area, surface activity and structural degree affected the formation of bound rubber. With the increase of bound rubber content, the homogeneity of filler network structure was improved and the filler‐rubber interaction was enhanced, resulting in a remarkable increase in the mechanical properties, thermal performance and abrasion resistance of the composites. Among the different types of CB, the composites filled with high‐structural‐degree CB of N134 had DIN wear volume as low as 76 mm 3 and exhibited 19.5% higher abrasion resistance than N330. Wear surface observations and wear mechanism analyses showed that the increase in abrasion resistance was related to the improvement in tear resistance, hardness and thermal properties of the composites. Multiple linear regression analyses yielded that the structural degree in the structural parameters of CB had a significant correlation effect on the formation of bound rubber, and there was a strong linear relationship between the abrasion resistance of the composites and the content of bound rubber. Highlights Trans‐1,4‐poly(isoprene‐butadiene) rubber as compatibilizer for NR/BR blends. Synergistic enhancement of rubber using carbon black and graphene oxide. Carbon black with high structural degree promotes the formation of bound rubber. Described correlation between CB structural parameters and abrasion resistance of rubber.