Each neat rubber has its specific properties that can be enhanced by reinforcing fillers, carbon blacks and precipitated hydrated silica being the most used for performing rubber goods or composites such as tyres.
The silicas compete with carbon blacks that are the most important reinforcing agents for rubbers but sometimes they eliminate them, especially for tyres. Among the advantages of the silica for the reinforcement of tyres we note its unique effect on dynamic properties and for the reinforcement of industrial rubber goods its white colour contrarily to the carbon blacks. In tyre industry, carbon blacks have been used for more than a century while the first commercial breakthrough of silica in passenger cars dates from the end of twentieth century.
There are some similarities concerning the structure and also several differences explaining the high reinforcement with some dissimilarities in collateral properties. Both reinforcing fillers have a long history comprising a lot of research work and satisfy to most requirements but better performances are always desirable.