Aramid Nanofiber Reinforced Rubber Compounds for the Application of Tire Tread with High Abrasion Resistance and Fuel Saving Efficiency

Tire performance plays a significant role in vehicles’ safety and fuel efficiency and is thus a critical vehicle technology driven by the materials used. The tires’ characteristics are largely dependent on the properties of the tread rubber compound, which are significantly affected by the type and amount of fillers used for static and dynamic reinforcement. In this work, a silane coupling agent was used to functionalize aramid nanofibers (ANFs), and the effect of a carbon black/ANF hybrid filler on the properties of tire tread rubber compounds was investigated. A functionalized ANF/water paste mixture was prepared and uniformly dispersed in the conventional dry rubber without using a solution mixing method, therefore avoiding latex co-coagulation, and the uniform dispersion of ANFs in the rubber matrix was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy. The properties of the carbon black/ANF hybrid filler reinforced rubber compounds at various weight fractions were then evaluated using tensile testing, dynamic mechanical analysis, and abrasion resistance testing. The rolling resistance and abrasion resistance of rubber compounds with 1 part of ANFs were found to improve over the baseline neat rubber samples by 14.7 and 11.3%, respectively, all while maintaining the wet skid resistance. Thus, this study establishes that the addition of ANFs in the tread rubber compound enhances the tires’ overall performance requirements, known as the “magic triangle.”