What makes tires so tough has been a mystery for 100 years, scientists just found the surprising answer

Researchers at the University of South Florida have uncovered the mechanism that makes reinforced rubber exceptionally strong, solving a scientific mystery that has persisted for nearly a century. Using around 1,500 molecular simulations, the team discovered that carbon black particles prevent rubber from thinning normally when stretched, forcing the material to resist volume changes and become much tougher.