Characterization of the Sticky Debris Generated on Rubber Surface during Abrasion

Researchers have devoted a lot of time trying to understand the fundamental mechanisms of rubber abrasion based on various laboratory testing and how it determines the final wear performance of tyres. However, it seems to be extremely difficult, since it is impossible to achieve the same conditions such as severities for both laboratory testing and real wear behaviour. Many people have reported that a sticky layer is always formed on the rubber surface especially on tread compounds during the laboratory testing. However, very few studies are published on this sticky layer. In this paper, blade abrasion test was conducted to generate the sticky debris and various tests such as TGA, GPC and EDX were used to characterise the sticky debris. The chemical content of the sticky rubber are investigated. The effect on final friction and abrasion properties of this sticky layer are discussed as well.