FULLY BIO-BASED, HIGHLY FILLED LIGNIN RUBBER MASTERBATCH, METHOD FOR PRODUCING IT AND USE IT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the fields of rubber filling and modification and biomass resource recycling and comprehensive utilization, and in particular, to a fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch, a method for preparing same, and use thereof in replacing carbon black in rubbers.BACKGROUND

[0002] Lignins, a group of natural aromatic polymers extracted from plants with a three-dimensional network structure, are biological macromolecules consisting of three phenylpropane derivative units connected by ether bonds and carbon-carbon bonds. Lignins contain enriched active groups such as aromatic rings, aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyl groups, quinone groups, and the like, and are mainly present in the secondary wall of plant cells. As a green renewable resource, lignins have the advantages of diverse sources, low density, high biological efficiency, broad ecological adaptability, and the like. Industrial lignins mainly come from black liquors in papermaking and residues in the biorefinery industry, which, if not utilized, will become waste and seriously pollute the environment. Most macromolecular polymers such as plastics, rubbers, etc., may require fillers to improve their performance and cost-efficiency. Carbon black is widely used as a reinforcing filler in the rubber industry, but people are more and more concerned by the toxicity and impacts of carbon black on health and the environment. More researchers turn their attention to a green and renewable biomass resource - lignins for replacing carbon black as a filler in rubber. Lignins possess characteristics of good mechanical performance, biodegradability, excellent thermal stability, and the like, and are prospective as a reinforcing filler to replace carbon black in rubber. However, lignins feature a high polarity due to a large amount of aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyl groups, which provide a poor compatibility for lignins as a filler with commonly used non-polar rubber, such as natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, cis-polybutadiene rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber, in daily lives. Also, the strong interaction between hydroxyl groups in lignin molecules easily causes aggregation in a rubber matrix, resulting in poor dispersibility and thus reduced mechanical performance, rheological properties and thermal stability in products.

[0003] In order to solve such problems, lignins are usually modified chemically to improve their compatibility and dispersibility in the rubber matrix, or by adding a compatibilizer to enhance the interfacial adhesion between lignins and the rubber matrix. The reduction in the aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyl group content in the lignin molecules and thus reduced polarity are the keys of lignin chemical modification. By comparing some common methods for lignin chemical modification, it can be seen that some methods usually introduce some short-chain acetic anhydride in a large quantity to reduce the content of hydroxyl groups in lignins and thus improve the hydrophobicity of lignins, which, however, do not significantly improve the compatibility between lignins and the material matrix. Some other methods usually introduce some long-chain aliphatic compounds, which, when excessively introduced, will lead to over-crosslinking of the lignin molecules, and most of such modified lignins possess higher Tg and Tm that greatly challenge the subsequent processing process. Therefore, the present invention proposes a fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch, and a method for preparing same, and use thereof to effectively solve the technical problems.

[0004] The following is indicative of the prior art: US Patent publication No. US2023135725A1 discloses a modified lignin reinforced rubber obtained by subjecting a lignin to composite modification by a compound containing a carbon-carbon double bond, a compound containing a sulfur element and a compound capable of blocking a hydroxyl; the lignin is modified with the compound containing the carbon-carbon double bond, and the contained double bond and an olefin in the rubber generate a bonding effect, which improves a binding force between the lignin and the rubber; furthermore, by modifying the lignin with the compound containing the sulfur element, the lignin contains a certain amount of the element sulfur, which improves an interaction between the lignin and the rubber, improves properties of the rubber, and reduces the use of a vulcanizing agent, and further increases a replacement amount of the lignin to carbon black.SUMMARY

[0005] Objective: The present invention is intended to provide a fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch, so as to solve the technical problem in the prior art.

[0006] The present invention is also intended to provide a method for preparing a fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch.

[0007] The present invention is further intended to provide use of a fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch.

[0008] The present invention provides a novel crosslinking control method for preparing modified lignins, where a modified lignin is obtained by the esterification reaction of a lignin, a certain proportion of end-capping reagent acetic acid, and long-chain fatty acid oleic acid, and the modified lignin and a rubber are mixed and granulated to give a fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch;

[0009] Specifically, a modified lignin with high hydrophobicity, controllable crosslinking degree, and low Tg is prepared by adjusting the proportion of end-capping reagent acetic acid and long-chain fatty acid oleic acid. The Tg and Tm of the lignin and the polarity of the lignin are reduced by introducing a certain amount of renewable long-chain fatty acid oleic acid, thus improving the compatibility between the lignin and a natural rubber and providing excellent processing performance. Moreover, the addition of end-capping reagent acetic acid in a certain proportion reduces the number of excessive reaction sites, hydroxyl groups, in the lignin, which further reduces the polarity of the lignin and is beneficial to its dispersion in rubber. The obtained modified lignin is then blended with a rubber in an open mill or an internal mixer, and finally, the blend is granulated on a twin-screw extruder to prepare the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch. The method has the advantages of ease of operation, cost-efficiency, renewable raw materials, and the like.

[0010] In order to solve the technical problems described above, the present invention discloses the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a lignin-rubber masterbatch prepared by a method comprising: (1) adding a mixture of a dry lignin, acetic acid, and oleic acid into a solvent, uniformly mixing, and reacting in the presence of a catalyst to give a modified lignin; and (2) blending the modified lignin and a rubber, and granulating on a twin-screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch, wherein in step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the total amount of acetic acid and oleic acid is 1 g:8.2-18.2 mol; the molar ratio of acetic acid to oleic acid is 1:0.5-3; the catalyst is any one of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine, or a combination thereof; the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the catalyst is 1 g:5.7-11.2 mmol; and wherein in step (2), the modified lignin accounts for 40%-85% of the total mass of the modified lignin and the rubber.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention discloses a method for preparing a lignin-rubber masterbatch, comprising: (1) adding a mixture of a dry lignin, acetic acid, and oleic acid into a solvent, uniformly mixing, and reacting in the presence of a catalyst to give a modified lignin; and (2) blending the modified lignin and a rubber, and granulating on a twin-screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch, wherein in step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the total amount of acetic acid and oleic acid is 1 g:8.2-18.2 mol; the molar ratio of acetic acid to oleic acid is 1:0.5-3; the catalyst is any one of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine, or a combination thereof; the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the catalyst is 1 g:5.7-11.2 mmol; and wherein in step (2), the modified lignin accounts for 40%-85% of the total mass of the modified lignin and the rubber.

[0012] In the first and second aspects described above, in step (1), the lignin is any one of alkali lignin, kraft lignin, lignosulfonate, enzymatically digested lignin, and organosolv lignin.

[0013] In step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the total amount of acetic acid and oleic acid is 1 g:10.2-16.2 mol, and preferably 1 g:12.2-14.2 mol; preferably, the molar ratio of acetic acid to oleic acid is .. 1:1-2.5, and preferably 1:1.5-2.

[0014] In step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the catalyst is 1 g:6.7-10.2 mmol, and preferably 1 g:7.7-9.2 mmol; preferably, the catalyst is a combination of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine; preferably, the order for adding the catalyst during the reaction is to add DCC firstly and to slowly add a solution of DMAP in dimethylformamide (DMF); preferably, the molar ratio of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to 4-dimethylaminopyridine is 2-4:1, preferably 2.5-3.5:1, and more preferably 3:1.

[0015] In step (1), the solvent of the reaction is an organic solvent, preferably N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF); preferably, the mass-to-volume ratio of the lignin to the solvent is 1 g:11-23 mL, preferably 1 g:14-21 mL, and more preferably 1 g:16-19 mL.

[0016] In step (1), the temperature of the reaction is 20-30 °C; the time of the reaction is 40-56 h, preferably 48 h.

[0017] In step (1), after the reaction is completed, a reaction solution containing the modified lignin is obtained, and the reaction solution is filtered to remove a by-product DCU to give a black liquid; the black liquid is added to an aqueous HCl solution to precipitate a solid, and the solid is filtered and dried to give the modified lignin, wherein the drying includes but is not limited to vacuum drying; preferably, the drying is vacuum drying, and the temperature is 40-70 °C; preferably, the modified lignin is milled, preferably by jet milling.

[0018] In step (2), the modified lignin accounts for 70%-80% of the total mass of the modified lignin and the rubber.

[0019] In step (2), the rubber comprises one or more of styrene butadiene rubber, cis-polybutadiene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, and butyl rubber.

[0020] In step (2), the blending is conducted in an open mill or an internal mixer; preferably, the temperature of the blending is 60-120 °C.

[0021] In a third aspect, the present invention discloses use of the lignin-rubber masterbatch according to the first aspect above or a lignin-rubber masterbatch prepared by the method according to the second aspect above in preparing a rubber composite material, comprising: (i) mixing the lignin-rubber masterbatch with a rubber to give a rubber compound; and (ii) subjecting the rubber compound obtained in step (i) and an additive, such as a vulcanizing agent, a vulcanizing additive, a vulcanizing accelerant, etc., to mixing, milling, and compression molding to give the rubber composite material.

[0022] In step (i), the rubber comprises one or more of styrene butadiene rubber, cis-polybutadiene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, and butyl rubber.

[0023] In step (i), the mass ratio of the lignin-rubber masterbatch to the rubber is 1.6-3.6:1, preferably 2.6:1.

[0024] In step (i), the mixing is conducted at 80-145 °C for 15-30 min, preferably at 100 °C for 15 min.

[0025] In step (ii), the vulcanizing agent is selected from any one of sulfur, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide, and benzoyl peroxide, or a combination of two or more.

[0026] In step (ii), the vulcanizing additive is selected from any one of zinc oxide, stearic acid, naphthenic oil, benzothiazole disulfide, tetramethylthiuram disulfide, and N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide, or a combination of two or more.

[0027] In step (ii), the vulcanizing accelerant includes a polyethylene glycol, such as PEG-4000.

[0028] In step (ii), the mass ratio of the natural rubber to the vulcanizing agent and the vulcanizing additive is 1:0.005-0.25:0.1-0.3, preferably 1:0.1:0.2.

[0029] In step (ii), the mixing comprises mixing in an open mill, milling, and compression molding; the mixing is conducted at 10-35 °C for 5-15 min, preferably at 20 °C for 10 min; the milling is conducted 3-5 times; the compression molding is conducted on a plate vulcanizing press at 130-180 °C for 10-40 min, preferably at 160 °C for 20 min.Beneficial effects:

[0030] 1. The lignin, acetic acid, and oleic acid in the method are renewable resources with diverse sources, thus reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources and facilitating sustainable development; the present invention features a simple production process, and the prepared filler can significantly improve the mechanical properties of rubber, thus providing good economic benefit. 2. The polar hydroxyl content in the modified lignin is greatly reduced, which results in a lignin grafted with hydrophobic long-chain fatty acid with greatly reduced polarity and glass transition temperature and improved compatibility with natural rubber that is favorable for the dispersion of the lignin in a rubber matrix. The obtained highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch features a very high surface hydrophobicity, leading to smooth surfaces of the products. 3. The highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch prepared by the present invention can replace the conventional reinforcing agent carbon black and provide a better reinforcing effect and higher mechanical properties for rubber materials. The present invention can also reduce the rubber content of the rubber composite materials while retaining the mechanical properties, thus featuring cost-efficiency. 4. The highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch prepared by the present invention is applicable to existing natural rubber systems, and is also applicable to various non-polar rubbers such as styrene butadiene rubber, cis-polybutadiene rubber and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, or a rubber combination matrix of two or more. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The present invention will be further illustrated in detail with reference to the following accompanying drawing and detailed description, from which the advantages in the above and / or other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent. FIG. 1 illustrates the water contact angles of the modified lignins obtained in Example 1, Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2. FIG. 2 illustrates the SEM photographs of the rubber masterbatches obtained in Example 1, Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In the following examples, the experimental methods are all conventional methods unless otherwise specified; the reagents and materials are commercially available, unless otherwise specified.

[0033] In the following examples, the lignin is alkali lignin, unless otherwise specified.Example 1

[0034] (1) The lignin and a mixture of acetic acid and oleic acid (in a molar ratio of 1:2) were added to 360 mL of DMF in a mass-to-mole ratio of 20 g:284 mol. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 min until complete dissolution. N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC, 28.4 g, 137.6 mmol) was then added to the reaction system. The system was degassed with nitrogen for 5 min. 4-Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP, 5.6 g, 45.8 mmol) was added to 15 mL of DMF, and the mixture was then slowly added to the reaction system. The reaction system was stirred at room temperature for 48 h and filtered to remove by-product ethyl N,N-dichlorocarbamate (DCU) to give a black filtrate. The black filtrate was added to an aqueous HCl solution to give a precipitate. The precipitate was separated by filtration to give a brown filter cake, and the brown filter cake was dried in vacuum at 50 °C for 24 h to give modified lignin 1 (85% yield); (2) The modified lignin obtained in step (1) was milled by a jet mill to a d50 of 2 µm; (3) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of the modified lignin filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber by mass for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give a modified lignin 1\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 1\natural rubber masterbatch. (4) According to the formulation in Table 1, the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (3) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 1. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Example 1 ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 1\natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5% Example 2

[0035] (1) The lignin and a mixture of acetic acid and oleic acid (in a molar ratio of 1:1) were added to 300 mL of DMF in a mass-to-mole ratio of 20 g:284 mol. The mixture was stirred at room temperature until complete dissolution. N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC, 117 mmol) was then added to the reaction system. The system was degassed with nitrogen for 5 min. 4-Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP, 36.5 mmol) was added to 15 mL of DMF, and the mixture was then slowly added to the reaction system. The reaction system was stirred at room temperature for 48 h and filtered to remove by-product ethyl N,N-dichlorocarbamate (DCU) to give a black filtrate. The black filtrate was added to an aqueous HCl solution to give a precipitate. The precipitate was separated by filtration to give a brown filter cake, and the brown filter cake was dried in vacuum at 50 °C for 24 h to give modified lignin 2; (2) The modified lignin obtained in step (1) was milled by a jet mill to a d50 of 2 µm; (3) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of the modified lignin filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber by mass for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give a modified lignin 2\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 2\natural rubber masterbatch. (4) According to the formulation in Table 2, the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 2\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (3) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 2. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Example 2 ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 2\natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5% Example 3

[0036] (1) The lignin and a mixture of acetic acid and oleic acid (in a molar ratio of 2:1) were added to 300 mL of DMF in a mass-to-mole ratio of 20 g:284 mol. The mixture was stirred at room temperature until complete dissolution. N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC, 117 mmol) was then added to the reaction system. The system was degassed with nitrogen for 5 min. 4-Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP, 36.5 mmol) was added to 15 mL of DMF, and the mixture was then slowly added to the reaction system. The reaction system was stirred at room temperature for 48 h and filtered to remove by-product ethyl N,N-dichlorocarbamate (DCU) to give a black filtrate. The black filtrate was added to an aqueous HCl solution to give a precipitate. The precipitate was separated by filtration to give a brown filter cake, and the brown filter cake was dried in vacuum at 50 °C for 24 h to give modified lignin 3; (2) The modified lignin obtained in step (1) was milled by a jet mill to a d50 of 2 µm; (3) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of the modified lignin filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber by mass for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give a modified lignin 3\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 3\natural rubber masterbatch. (4) According to the formulation in Table 3, the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (3) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 3. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Example 3ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 3\natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5% Example 4

[0037] (1) An enzymatically digested lignin and a mixture of acetic acid and oleic acid (in a molar ratio of 1:2) were added to 360 mL of DMF in a mass-to-mole ratio of 20 g:284 mol. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 min until complete dissolution. N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC, 28.4 g, 137.6 mmol) was then added to the reaction system. The system was degassed with nitrogen for 5 min. 4-Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP, 5.6 g, 45.8 mmol) was added to 15 mL of DMF, and the mixture was then slowly added to the reaction system. The reaction system was stirred at room temperature for 48 h and filtered to remove by-product ethyl N,N-dichlorocarbamate (DCU) to give a black filtrate. The black filtrate was added to an aqueous HCl solution to give a precipitate. The precipitate was separated by filtration to give a brown filter cake, and the brown filter cake was dried in vacuum at 50 °C for 24 h to give modified lignin 4; (2) The modified lignin obtained in step (1) was milled by a jet mill to a d50 of 2 µm; (3) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of the modified lignin filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber by mass for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give a modified lignin 4\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 4\natural rubber masterbatch. (4) According to the formulation in Table 4, the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 4\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (3) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 4. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Example 4 ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 4\natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5% Example 5

[0038] (1) An organosolv lignin and a mixture of acetic acid and oleic acid (in a molar ratio of 1:1.5) were added to 300 mL of DMF in a mass-to-mole ratio of 20 g:244 mol. The mixture was stirred at room temperature until complete dissolution. N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC, 117 mmol) was then added to the reaction system. The system was degassed with nitrogen for 5 min. 4-Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP, 36.5 mmol) was added to 15 mL of DMF, and the mixture was then slowly added to the reaction system. The reaction system was stirred at room temperature for 48 h and filtered to remove by-product ethyl N,N-dichlorocarbamate (DCU) to give a black filtrate. The black filtrate was added to an aqueous HCl solution to give a precipitate. The precipitate was separated by filtration to give a brown filter cake, and the brown filter cake was dried in vacuum at 50 °C for 24 h to give modified lignin 5; (2) The modified lignin obtained in step (1) was milled by a jet mill to a d50 of 2 µm; (3) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of the modified lignin filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber by mass for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give a modified lignin 5\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 5\natural rubber masterbatch. (4) According to the formulation in Table 5, the fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 5\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (3) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 5. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Example 5 ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin 5\natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5% Comparative Example 1

[0039] (1) A dry original lignin was milled by a jet mill to a d50 of 2 µm for later use; (2) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of the original lignin filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give an original lignin\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the original lignin\natural rubber masterbatch. (3) According to the formulation in Table 6, the original lignin\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (2) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 6. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Comparative Example 1 ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Original lignin / natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5% Comparative Example 2

[0040] (1) The natural rubber was masticated and banded in an open mill. 300 parts of a carbon black filler were added as per 100 parts of the natural rubber for blending. The mixing temperature was 100 °C, the mixture was mixed until a constant weight to give a carbon black\natural rubber masterbatch (300:100). The mixed masterbatch was granulated in a screw extruder to give the carbon black\natural rubber masterbatch. (2) According to the formulation in Table 7, the carbon black\natural rubber masterbatch obtained in step (1) was mixed with the natural rubber to give a rubber compound, wherein the mixing temperature was 100 °C, and the time was 15 min. The obtained rubber compound was added into the open mill for banding, before naphthenic oil, sulfur, stearic acid, and PEG-4000 were added. The mixture was mixed at 25 °C for 10 min, milled 5 times, and subjected to compression molding on a plate vulcanizing press at 160 °C for 20 min to give the natural rubber composite material. Table 7. Formulation of natural rubber composite material in Comparative Example 2 ComponentRatio1Natural rubber25.0%2Carbon black / natural rubber masterbatch65.0%3Naphthenic oil4.0%4Stearic acid1.0%5Sulfur2.5%6PEG-40002.5%

[0041] Tests of the examples and comparative examples (1) Contact angle test: The modified lignins and the original lignin were tested for the contact angle on a contact angle tester SDC-200. The results are shown in Table 8 and FIG. 1. (2) DSC test: The modified lignins and the original lignin were tested for the glass transition temperature (Tg) on a differential scanning calorimeter DZ-DSC300. The results are shown in Table 9. (3) SEM test: The morphology of the rubber composite material was characterized on a Hitachi S4800 scanning electron microscope at an accelerating voltage of 20 kV. The results are shown in FIG. 2. (4) Tensile test: The stress at a given elongation, tensile strength, elongation at break, and Shore-A hardness of the vulcanized rubbers were respectively determined according to national standards GB / T 528-2009, GB / T 528-1998, GB / T 531-1999, and GB / T 3512-2001, and the mechanical properties were tested on a UTM6104 electronic universal tester. The mechanical properties are shown in Table 10. Table 8. Contact angles of lignin and modified lignins in Examples 1-5 and Comparative Example 1 Modified lignin 1Modified lignin 2Modified lignin 3Modified lignin 4Modified lignin 5Original ligninContact angle111°103°102°106°115°70° Table 9. Tg of lignin and modified lignins in Examples 1-5 and Comparative Example 1 Modified lignin 1Modified lignin 2Modified lignin 3Modified lignin 4Modified lignin 5Original ligninTg30.2°C58.5°C91.4°C32.5°C28.6°C153°C Table 10. Mechanical properties of rubber composite materials of Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 Example 1Example 2Example 3Example 4Example 5Comparative Example 1Comparative Example 2Tensile Strength (MPa)26.5324.4223.5623.9425.4320.8723.48Elongation at break479.52461.25452.25466.3470.25408.26452.82Stress at 100% elongation (MPa)2.312.262.211.992.412.052.25Stress at 300% elongation (MPa)13.1312.0712.5413.1213.1312.4212.54Permanent tensile deformation13.0812.2111.9612.5112.1610.2111.17Hardness (Shore A)64606162645559

[0042] The test results show that: from the contact angles of the original lignins and the modified lignins in Examples 1, 2 and 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the contact angles of the modified lignins were significantly increased compared with those of the original lignins, suggesting a greatly improved hydrophobicity and a better dispersibility in rubbers. Also, by comparing the glass transition temperatures of the modified lignins and the original lignins, the glass transition temperatures of the modified lignins were significantly reduced along with the increase of the proportion of oleic acid, and particularly, the modified lignin 1 greatly improves the convenience of the rubber processing process. The rubber masterbatch prepared from the modified lignin has the best performance, and the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, stress at a given elongation, are better than those of the rubber masterbatch prepared from carbon black (Comparative Example 2), indicating that a cross-linking network is formed between the modified lignin and the rubber which significantly improves the compatibility and provides the rubber masterbatch with better performance. From the SEM graphs, it can be seen that modified lignins were dispersed in the rubber masterbatch uniformly due to the introduction of oleic acid, while the original lignins significantly aggregated in the rubber masterbatch, resulting in remarkable reductions in mechanical properties.

[0043] The natural rubber composite materials prepared in Examples 4 and 5 have similar performance as that of Example 1, with mechanical properties such as tensile strength, stress at a given elongation, superior to those of the rubber masterbatch prepared from carbon black and excellent thermal properties and lower glass transition temperatures, thus greatly improving the thermal stability of the rubber products.

Claims

1. A lignin-rubber masterbatch prepared by a method comprising: (1) reacting a lignin, acetic acid, and oleic acid in the presence of a catalyst to give a modified lignin; and (2) blending the modified lignin and a rubber, and granulating to give the lignin-rubber masterbatch; wherein in step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the total amount of acetic acid and oleic acid is 1 g:8.2-18.2 mol; the molar ratio of acetic acid to oleic acid is 1:0.5-3; the catalyst is any one of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine, or a combination thereof; the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the catalyst is 1 g:5.7-11.2 mmol; and wherein in step (2), the modified lignin accounts for 40%-85% of the total mass of the modified lignin and the rubber.

2. A method for preparing a lignin-rubber masterbatch, comprising: (1) reacting a lignin, acetic acid, and oleic acid in the presence of a catalyst to give a modified lignin; and (2) blending the modified lignin and a rubber, and granulating to give the lignin-rubber masterbatch; wherein in step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the total amount of acetic acid and oleic acid is 1 g:8.2-18.2 mol; the molar ratio of acetic acid to oleic acid is 1:0.5-3; the catalyst is any one of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine, or a combination thereof; the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the catalyst is 1 g:5.7-11.2 mmol; and wherein in step (2), the modified lignin accounts for 40%-85% of the total mass of the modified lignin and the rubber.

3. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2, wherein in step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the total amount of acetic acid and oleic acid is 1 g:10.2-16.2 mol, and more preferably 1 g:12.2-14.2 mol; preferably, the molar ratio of acetic acid to oleic acid is 1:1-2.5, and more preferably 1:1.5-2.

4. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2, wherein in step (1), the mass-to-mole ratio of the lignin to the catalyst is 1 g:6.7-10.2 mmol, and more preferably 1 g:7.7-9.2 mmol; preferably, the catalyst is a combination of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-dimethylaminopyridine; preferably, the molar ratio of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to 4-dimethylaminopyridine is 2-4:1, preferably 2.5-3.5:1, and more preferably 3:1.

5. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2, wherein in step (1), the solvent of the reaction is an organic solvent, preferably N,N-dimethylformamide; preferably, the mass-to-volume ratio of the lignin to the solvent is 1 g:11-23 mL, preferably 1 g:14-21 mL, and more preferably 1 g:16-19 mL.

6. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2, wherein in step (1), the temperature of the reaction is 20-30 °C.

7. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2, wherein in step (2), the modified lignin accounts for 70%-80% of the total mass of the modified lignin and the rubber.

8. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2, wherein in step (2), the blending is conducted in an open mill or an internal mixer; preferably, the temperature of the blending is 60-120 °C.

9. Use of the lignin-rubber masterbatch according to any one of claims 1 and 3-8 or a lignin-rubber masterbatch prepared by the method according to any one of claims 2-8 in preparing a rubber composite material.

10. The use according to claim 9, comprising: (i) mixing the lignin-rubber masterbatch with a rubber to give a rubber compound; and (ii) subjecting the rubber compound obtained in step (i) and an additive to mixing, milling, and compression molding to give the rubber composite material.

11. The lignin-rubber masterbatch according to claim 1 or the method according to claim 2 or the use according to claim 10, wherein the rubber comprises one or more of styrene butadiene rubber, cis-polybutadiene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, and butyl rubber.