vulcanizate. At similar hardness level, CB-filled sample
exhibits similar tear strength to that of silica-filled
vulcanizate, but much higher than that of the clay-filled
vulcanizate. The higher amount of fillers in CB- and
silica-filled vulcanizates may obstruct the tear path more
effectively than that for the clay-filled vulcanizate. It has
also been reported that if the clay platelets are aligned in
the perpendicular direction to the applied force, the stress
may be concentrated at the sharp edges of particles and
promote earlier failure compared to spherical fillers [14]