Micromechanics Model for Rubber Blends Filled by a Nano-Reinforced Devulcanized Recycled Rubber: Application in the Automotive Industry

The present report proposes a micromechanics model for predicting the dynamic modulus of rubber blends consisting of a base rubber and devulcanized recycled rubbers reinforced by nanofillers. A four-step hierarchical homogenization is established to relate the properties of components from the nano-sized reinforcements to the macro-scaled final blend. The developed model accounts for the effect of agglomeration and geometry of nano-fillers, the quality of the devulcanization process, and the properties of the interphase surrounding the nanofillers on the dynamic modulus of the rubber blend. A comprehensive dimensionless parametric study is performed whose output in terms of graphical maps can be used as a design guideline for practical cases in industries like automotive. A case study for recycled end-of-life tires (ELTs) reinforced by nano clays is presented and it is found that the nano reinforcement of devulcanized rubbers has a remarkable potential to compensate for the weakness compared to its virgin counterpart.