Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have increased the fatigue threshold of particle-reinforced rubber, developing a new, multiscale approach that allows the material to bear high loads and resist crack growth over repeated use. This approach could not only increase the longevity of rubber products such as tires but also reduce the amount of pollution from rubber particles shed during use.

Here, the researchers show two samples under cyclic loading. The cracks grow in the left sample while the cracks in the right sample, made from the multiscale material, remain intact after 350,000 cycles.