Optimization of carbon nanotubes in carbon black-filled natural rubber: Constitutive modeling and verification using finite element analysis

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are novel one-dimensional nanomaterials with a large aspect ratio and specific surface area, exhibiting excellent electrical and thermal properties that have led to their extensive utilization in rubber nanocomposites. In this paper, the effect of CNTs and carbon black juxtaposition on the properties of natural rubber is investigated using two different structures of CNTs, namely GC-30 and GT-210. The experimental results show that GT-210 CNTs exhibit superior performance when incorporated into natural rubber. In addition, finite elements are employed for constitutive modeling to facilitate meaningful explorations in mechanical calculation and characterization of rubber filled with CNTs. Simulating the mechanical behavior of rubber materials under different working conditions (tensile and compressive) offers a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to predicting and optimizing material performance.Highlights Characterization of filler dispersion by Mooney-Rivlin curves. Fitting material stress-strain behavior using constitutive models. Offers an approach to predicting and optimizing material performance.