Abstract

Prediction of tread wear from laboratory tests can be a valuable guide in the development of improved carbon blacks and controlling the quality of normal production. We have developed two tests which give good correlation with actual road wear data on over 100 experimental blacks. One test involves running Akron angle abrasion on a compound with only 30 phr of carbon black where differences in abrasion resistance are magnified. The other test measures surface activity towards the polymer by determining bound rubber content of a heat‐treated nonproductive mix. By using both tests together, tread wear ratings of blacks used in this study could be predicted almost as well as by a single, controlled, multisectional road test with five tires run for 8000–10,000 miles.