Rubber Composition with Epoxy Resin and Polyimine Hardener
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rubber compositions for tires achieve high rigidity by increasing reinforcing filler load, which often penalizes hysteresis and rolling resistance, making it difficult to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of a rubber composition based on a diene elastomer, reinforcing filler, epoxy resin, and a poly-imine hardener, which provides superior rigidity at low deformation without significantly degrading hysteresis, improving processability and safety during curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the reinforcing filler load is increased to achieve high rigidity, then the rigidity under small tire deformations is improved, but the hysteresis properties are negatively impacted and rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the rubber compound by incorporating specific resin systems (polyester resin, polyamide resin, or phenolic resin) in controlled amounts (1-20 parts by weight per 100 parts of rubber). This chemical parameter change allows achieving the desired rigidity through molecular-level reinforcement rather than simply increasing filler load, thereby maintaining better hysteresis properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining rubber with specific resins (polyester, polyamide, or phenolic) and fillers. This composite approach provides enhanced rigidity through the synergistic effect of the resin-rubber-filler interaction, allowing optimization of both rigidity and hysteresis properties that cannot be achieved with filler alone
2Strength
If conventional reinforcing resins are used to increase rigidity, then stiffness at low deformation is improved, but processability and safety during curing are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition by selecting specific resin types (polyester, polyamide, or phenolic) with controlled amounts (1-20 parts by weight per 100 parts of rubber). This parameter optimization ensures the resin provides sufficient stiffness enhancement while maintaining compatible processing characteristics and curing behavior
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different resin types to specific performance requirements: polyester resin for balanced properties, polyamide resin for enhanced flexibility and processability, or phenolic resin for maximum rigidity. This localized selection of resin quality allows optimizing both processability and stiffness for specific application needs
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 rubber composition maintains similar hysteresis and rigidity to conventional compositions while enhancing processability and safety, offering improved performance in tire applications with reduced rolling resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The terms 'methylene acceptor' and 'methylene donor' are well known to those skilled in the art and widely used to designate compounds capable of reacting together to generate, through condensation, a three-dimensional reinforcing resin that overlaps and interpenetrates with the reinforcing filler/elastomer network
Implementation Method 2
The crosslinking of the resin is then caused during the baking of the rubber matrix, by the formation of methylene bridges (-CH 2 -) between the carbons in ortho and/or para positions of the phenolic nuclei of the resin and the methylene donor, thus creating a three-dimensional resin network
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a rubber composition containing at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a cross-linking system, an epoxy resin, at a concentration ranging from 1 to 20 phr, and a polyimine hardener at a concentration ranging from 0.2 to 15 phr.