Rubber Composition with Epoxy Resin and Amine Hardener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rubber compositions used in tires face a trade-off between increasing rigidity for better stress resistance and maintaining low hysteresis and rolling resistance, with the use of methylene acceptor/donor systems like formo-phenolic resins and HMT or H3M leading to formaldehyde production, which is environmentally undesirable.
Innovation Solution
The use of an epoxy resin coupled with an amine hardener, such as p-xylylenediamine, 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, or 3,3'-diaminobenzidine, replaces the traditional methylene acceptor/donor system, enhancing rigidity at low deformation without significantly degrading hysteresis and eliminating formaldehyde production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the load rate of reinforcing filler is increased to obtain high rigidity, then the rigidity of the rubber composition is improved, but the hysteresis and rolling resistance properties are penalized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing epoxy resin and amine hardener into the rubber compound formulation. This chemical modification allows achieving high rigidity through crosslinking reactions without relying solely on increasing filler load, thereby maintaining better hysteresis properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining rubber matrix, reinforcing filler, epoxy resin, and amine hardener. The epoxy-amine crosslinked network forms a composite structure that enhances rigidity while the specific selection of amine hardener helps control hysteresis characteristics
2Strength
If methylene acceptor/donor systems are used to increase rigidity, then the rigidity of the rubber composition is improved, but formaldehyde is produced which has environmental impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the formaldehyde-producing methylene acceptor/donor system from the rubber compound. By removing phenolic resins and conventional methylene donors like HMT or H3M, the source of formaldehyde generation is completely taken out of the formulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the crosslinking chemistry parameters by substituting the methylene bridge formation mechanism with an epoxy-amine crosslinking mechanism. This parameter change in the chemical reaction pathway eliminates formaldehyde production while maintaining rigidity enhancement through crosslinking
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 results in rubber compositions with improved rigidity at low deformation while maintaining acceptable hysteresis, thereby enhancing road behavior and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The crosslinking of the resin is then caused during the cooking of the rubber matrix, by the formation of bridges (-CH 2 -) between the carbons in ortho and para positions of the phenolic nuclei of the resin and the methylene donor, thus creating a three-dimensional resin network.
Implementation Method 2
increasing the rigidity of a rubber composition by increasing the load rate can penalize the hysteresis and therefore rolling resistance properties of the tires
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a rubber composition particularly suitable for tires, and containing at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a cross-linking system, between 1 and 20 pce of an epoxide resin and between 1 and 15 pce of an amine hardener. The epoxide resin and amine hardener pair advantageously replaces the pair comprising methylene-acceptor formo-phenolic resin and traditional methylene-donor HMT or M3M hardener(s). The use of said reagent pair comprising an epoxide resin and an amine hardener makes it possible to obtain rubber compositions having a higher rigidity at low deformation relative to traditional rubber compositions without noticeably degrading hysteresis. Moreover, the combination of a methylene-acceptor phenolic resin with methylene-donor HMT or 1H3M generates formaldehyde during the vulcanization of the rubber composition, and it is desirable to reduce or even eventually suppress formaldehyde in rubber compositions due to the environmental impact of said compounds.