Crosslinked Polyester Elastomer Blends for Temperature-Stable NPT Spokes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic tires require air inflation, leading to maintenance needs and puncture risks, while existing non-pneumatic tire designs face challenges in maintaining structural integrity across varying temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A temperature stable polymeric blend comprising a thermoplastic polyester elastomer and a crosslinking compound, such as a siloxane or epoxide, is developed for non-pneumatic tires, which maintains strength and processability through a broad temperature range, using a process involving heat blending and extrusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a thermoplastic polyester elastomer is used in non-pneumatic tires, then processability and ease of manufacture are improved, but temperature stability and structural integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical structure parameters of the polyester elastomer by incorporating cyclic carbonate groups and controlling the ratio of different monomer units (specifically maintaining 10-40 mol% of units derived from cyclic carbonate and diol). This parameter optimization enables the material to maintain both processability at elevated temperatures and structural stability across a broad temperature range from -40°C to 190°C.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite polymer system by combining polyester elastomer chains with cyclic carbonate groups with crosslinking agents (such as silane crosslinkers). This composite structure integrates the processability benefits of thermoplastics with the thermal stability of crosslinked networks, achieving both ease of manufacture and temperature stability simultaneously.
2Reliability
If conventional pneumatic tires are used, then load support and shock absorption are achieved through air inflation, but maintenance requirements and puncture risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the air inflation system from the tire design, transitioning to a fully solid non-pneumatic structure. The spokes are constructed from the specialized polyester elastomer composition that provides both structural support and shock absorption without requiring any gaseous medium, thereby completely removing puncture risks and air maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical properties of the spoke material by optimizing the polyester elastomer composition and crosslinking density, enabling the solid structure to achieve equivalent or superior load support and shock absorption performance compared to pneumatic systems, while eliminating the need for air inflation and associated maintenance.
3Reliability
If the polymeric blend maintains high strength across broad temperature range, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates crosslinking agents and cyclic carbonate groups directly into the polymer chains during the initial polymerization and extrusion processes. This preliminary incorporation ensures that the crosslinking structure is already present in the extruded material, eliminating the need for subsequent separate crosslinking steps and simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining strength consistency across temperatures.
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
The polymeric blend ensures high strength and elasticity across -40 to 190°C, reducing maintenance and puncture risks, suitable for non-pneumatic tire components like spokes.
Implementation Method 1
heat blending (a) a thermoplastic polyester elastomer and (b) a crosslinking compound at a temperature of about 200 to about 280°C
Implementation Method 2
The polymeric blend ensures high strength and elasticity across -40 to 190°C
Implementation Method 3
a crosslinking compound, preferably either (i) a siloxane compound containing at least one unsaturated carbon-carbon bond or at least one sulfur atom, or (ii) an epoxide compound
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are polymeric blends suitable for use in non-pneumatic tires, processes for preparing the polymeric blends, and non-pneumatic tires and components thereof incorporating the polymeric blend. The polymeric blends include a thermoplastic polyester elastomer and a crosslinking compound.