Abrasion Tests of Rubber Stocks Containing Various Types of Carbon Black
Abstract With respect to the results noted herein an the relation of abrasion loss to size of abrasive material, it is regretted that as yet no results have been obtained which cast much light on the reasons for the break in the curves of Figure 1. It is possible, if not probable, that the unexpected phenomena whose existence is indicated by these results may be responsible for the commonly observed discrepancies between laboratory abrasion tests and road tests. It is hoped that further studies may give more useful information on this relation. The abrasion results on aged stocks present several important points. It is, of course, obvious and fully realized that abrasion in use takes place only on the surface layer of a tire tread, but attention has not before been called to the very considerable effect which the aging characteristics of the carbon black used in the stock may have on the abrasion resistance of this surface layer. The present results show that, with two stocks differing only in their carbon black content, the relative abrasion resistance of the surface layers after aging may be in reversed ratio to those of the unaged stocks. This evidently will be a decisive factor in the relative useful life of the tread if the rate of surface aging is greater than the rate of tread wear. Surface conditions or, in other words, the time of storage before use, the daily mileage, existing road and climatic conditions, etc., will determine this relation.