STRAIN-DEPENDENT DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF FILLED RUBBER NETWORK SYSTEMS .2. THE PHYSICAL MEANING OF PARAMETERS IN THE L-N-B MODEL AND THEIR APPLICABILITY

In Part 1 of this series, the strain-dependent dynamic properties of f iller loaded rubber systems were modelled with a newly derived L-N-B ( links-nodes-blobs) model. In this paper, the physical meaning and sign ificance of parameters of the L-N-B model are described and compared w ith experimental results. Furthermore, with the combination of a van d er Waals force model, these parameters can be described in terms of ba sic physical material properties of filler and rubber matrix. The temp erature dependence of dynamic properties of filled rubbers is successf ully described in terms of the series combination of the angular defor mation element 2d(G) over bar/mL(1)a(2) in series with the tension ele ment dQ/L(1)a(2). Moreover, the normalized storage modulus can be expr essed as master curve Z(L-N-B) = Ei[-a(2)mQ epsilon(b)/2d(G) over bar . L(1)]/Ei[-a(2)mQ epsilon(b)/2d(G) over bar]. The parameter -a(2)mQ e psilon(b)/2d(G) over bar is almost a constant for different carbon bla ck filled systems. The distributions of blob and link in a L-N-B model are similar for carbon black filled rubber systems. The applicability and the limitation of the L-N-B model are also discussed and illustra ted with experimental results. Beside carbon black filled rubber syste ms, silica filled rubber and filler-in-oil systems are discussed.