Comparative study on the effect of carbon nanotubes and carbon black on fatigue properties of natural rubber composites

• Fatigue property of CNT/NR and CB/NR composites with similar hardness was compared. • CNT/NR exhibited excellent fatigue resistance at low filler content and strain. • Fatigue property of CB/NR increased with CB content. • Fatigue mechanism was proposed from hysteresis , SIC and stress concentration. Fatigue property is of great importance for the security and reliability of rubber products. The fatigue performance of natural rubber (NR) filled with carbon nanotube (CNT) and carbon black (CB) with different content but similar hardness was investigated. Results indicated that CNT/NR exhibited the best fatigue performance at low CNT content and fatigue strain, while the crack growth was accelerated with the increase of CNT content and strain. As for CB/NR, the fatigue resistance increased with CB content and strain. The different fatigue performance of NR composites was discussed from the perspective of hysteresis, strain-induced crystallization, and stress concentration effect.