Diene Polymer Silica Affinity for Tire Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rubber compositions with low heat generation and improved dispersibility of fillers struggle to achieve excellent low loss property, breaking resistance, and wear resistance, especially when silica is used in large amounts as a filler, leading to compromised reinforcing performance and wet road gripping ability.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition with a diene-based polymer containing 3 or more modified functional groups capable of interacting with silica within a specific range of the chain length, combined with a silica content of 60 to 250 parts by mass per 100 parts of rubber component, enhances the affinity and dispersibility of silica, thereby improving low loss property, breaking resistance, and wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If silica content is increased to improve reinforcing performance and wear resistance, then wear resistance and breaking resistance are improved, but low loss property deteriorates due to increased heat generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating modified functional groups (nitrogen, silicon, or oxygen-containing groups) at specific locations on the diene-based polymer chain - specifically within a range of 1/4 of the entire chain length from at least one terminal. This localized modification creates regions of high silica affinity at the chain ends while maintaining the bulk polymer properties, enabling excellent silica dispersibility and low loss property even with high silica content (60-250 parts per 100 parts rubber component)
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional modified conjugated diene-based polymers with polymerization active sites modified by alkyllithium are used to improve filler dispersibility, then dispersibility is improved in low fuel consumption tires with small compounding amounts, but dispersibility improvement cannot be sufficiently exhibited in general-purpose tires with large compounding amounts of filler and softener
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the parameters of the modifying groups from conventional alkyllithium-modified polymers to polymers with nitrogen-containing, silicon-containing, or oxygen-containing functional groups. This parameter change enables the polymer to effectively interact with silica across a wide range of compounding formulations, from low fuel consumption tires with small filler amounts to general-purpose tires with large filler amounts (60-250 parts silica per 100 parts rubber component), achieving both excellent dispersibility and adaptability
3Loss of energy
If fillers such as carbon black and silica are reduced to lower heat generation and improve low loss property, then low loss property is improved, but reinforcing performance and wear resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system by combining diene-based polymer with modified functional groups and silica filler. The modified functional groups (nitrogen, silicon, or oxygen-containing) form strong interactions with silica, creating a synergistic composite where the polymer-silica interface provides excellent reinforcing performance and wear resistance while maintaining low heat generation and low loss property
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 proposed solution achieves significant improvements in low loss property, breaking resistance, and wear resistance, ensuring excellent tire performance even with high silica content, while maintaining processability and elongation.
Implementation Method 1
3 or more modified functional groups capable of interacting with silica merely within a range of 1/4 of an entire chain length from a terminal
Implementation Method 2
modified functional groups capable of interacting with silica
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is to provide a rubber composition excellent in low loss property, breaking resistance and wear resistance. In order to achieve the aforementioned purpose, this disclosure is a rubber composition containing a rubber component having a diene-based polymer and a silica, wherein: the diene-based polymer has 3 or more modified functional groups capable of interacting with the silica merely within a range of 1/4 of an entire chain length from a terminal, and has at least one monomer structural unit of a diene-based polymer among the modified functional groups; and a content of the silica is 60 to 250 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.