To increase rubber reinforcement, choose high surface area reinforcing agents. The more overall high surface area filler you apply, the more reinforcement you gain, limited by the viscosity of the compound. Ultimately, dispersibility becomes critical for some highly loaded systems and for low shear mixes.

The Huber product with the highest reinforcing properties (due to its high surface area) is Zeopol® 8745 highly dispersible precipitated silica.

The Zeopol series of Highly Dispersible Silicas (HDS) is produced through a unique process that enables standard rubber mixing equipment to break down the particle size to less than one micron.

Compared with classical silicas, Zeopol delivers the following advantages:

• Lower viscosity and equal mixing energy for enhanced extrusion and processing
• Improved flex/fatigue resistance
• Increased tear and abrasion resistance
• Outstanding tensile strength
• Enhanced hysteresis properties – lower heat buildup for reduced rolling resistance and longer product life
• A reduction of 15 to 50% in the use of a coupling agent