Bio-Based Polyamide Tire Cord for Sustainable Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of vehicle tires relies heavily on fossil-based raw materials, leading to environmental concerns and sustainability issues, with natural fibers offering inferior quality and reproducibility due to moisture sensitivity and lack of continuous fiber forms.
Innovation Solution
A method using bio-based polyamide yarns produced from selected starting monomers, at least partially derived from biomass, to create reinforcing cords that are embedded in a vulcanizable rubber mixture for producing high-quality, sustainable vehicle tires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If natural fibers are used to replace petrochemical-based yarns, then sustainability is improved, but quality and reproducibility deteriorate due to moisture sensitivity and lack of continuous fiber forms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the source material parameters from natural fibers to bio-based polyamides produced from renewable raw materials like vegetable oils. This maintains the sustainability improvement while achieving the desired quality and reproducibility through controlled chemical synthesis processes that eliminate moisture sensitivity and provide continuous filament forms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite materials using bio-based polyamides combined with renewable rubber compounds. This composite approach allows the reinforcing cords to achieve both sustainability goals and high performance characteristics, resolving the contradiction between environmental friendliness and material quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If petrochemical-based yarns are used, then quality and reproducibility are maintained, but sustainability and environmental friendliness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the raw material source from petrochemicals to renewable resources such as vegetable oils and biomass. The bio-based polyamides are synthesized through chemical processes that maintain the structural integrity and performance characteristics of conventional polyamides while achieving sustainability goals through renewable feedstock.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention promotes the use of bio-based materials that are renewable and can be sustainably replenished, replacing finite petrochemical resources. This allows for long-term sustainability without compromising the functional performance of the tire components.
3Reliability
If bio-based polyamides are used, then sustainability is improved and dependence on fossil fuels is reduced, but manufacturing complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses well-established chemical synthesis processes as intermediaries to convert renewable raw materials into bio-based polyamides. These intermediary chemical reactions follow proven industrial pathways, allowing the manufacturing process to maintain a level of complexity similar to conventional polyamide production while achieving sustainability improvements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces dependence on fossil fuels while maintaining excellent physico-chemical properties, ensuring reproducible and high-performance composite materials for vehicle tires, comparable to those made from petrochemically produced materials.
Implementation Method 1
b) Polymerizing the starting monomers contained in the starting composition to form a bio-based polyamide
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a composite material for use in the manufacture of vehicle tires, comprising the following process steps: a) producing or providing a starting composition comprising as starting monomers: i) ε-aminocaproic acid and/or ε-caprolactam, or ii) hexamethylenediamine and hexamethylenedicarboxylic acid, wherein the starting monomers contained in the starting composition are at least partially produced from biomass, based on the amount of substance of the starting monomers contained in the starting composition, b) polymerizing the starting monomers contained in the starting composition to form a bio-based polyamide, forming the bio-based polyamide into a bio-based polyamide yarn, and processing the bio-based polyamide yarn into a reinforcing cord, and c) embedding the reinforcing cord in a vulcanizable rubber compound to obtain the composite material.The invention further relates to the manufacture of a vehicle tire and a composite material for the manufacture of vehicle tires.