Terminally Functionalized Polymer Composition for Tire Tread
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rubber goods, such as tire treads, face a trade-off between good traction and low rolling resistance, with existing elastomeric compositions struggling to balance hysteresis reduction and wear resistance, particularly due to unpredictable interactions between carbanionic and pseudo-living polymers with reinforcing fillers like carbon black and silica.
Innovation Solution
A composition involving two types of terminally functionalized polymers, one with a heterocyclic moiety and the other with an aryl group having multiple hydroxyl substituents, reacted via coordination catalysis, which interact with particulate fillers to enhance properties like reduced hysteresis and improved wear resistance, allowing for simultaneous or sequential reactions to achieve desirable vulcanizates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If elastomeric compositions are designed to provide good road traction, then traction is improved, but rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different terminally functionalized polymers with specific functional groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl, amine) that interact differently with filler particles. This creates localized variations in the elastomeric composition, allowing different regions to optimize for either traction or rolling resistance, thereby resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple types of terminally functionalized polymers with particulate fillers (carbon black, silica) and elastomeric materials. This composite approach allows the system to achieve both good road traction and reduced rolling resistance by selecting and combining materials with complementary properties, rather than relying on a single material type.
2Stability of the object's composition
If filler interaction with elastomer is increased to improve physical properties and processability, then dispersion is improved, but hysteresis and heat build-up increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical parameters of the elastomeric composition through the use of terminally functionalized polymers with specific functional groups. These functional groups alter the interaction parameters between fillers and elastomer, achieving improved dispersion while controlling hysteresis and heat build-up by selecting appropriate functional group types and concentrations.
3Strength
If carbanionic polymer termini are functionalized to enhance filler interaction, then wear resistance is improved, but predictability of reaction with fillers decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses intermediaries (terminally functionalized polymers with specific functional groups) that mediate between the polymer chains and filler particles. These functional groups act as predictable intermediaries that reliably interact with fillers, making the overall reaction more predictable while still enhancing wear resistance through improved filler interaction.
4Adaptability or versatility
If mixed functionalization is used to enhance interactivity with two different types of particulate filler, then filler interaction is improved, but polymer synthesis complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the functionalization process into separate stages or using different polymers with different functional groups rather than attempting to add multiple functions to a single polymer type. This segmentation simplifies the synthesis process while still achieving enhanced interactivity with multiple filler types through the combined action of different functionalized polymers.
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 described approach results in vulcanizates with improved hysteresis reduction and wear resistance, effectively balancing competing properties of traction and rolling resistance, demonstrating enhanced performance in tire tread applications.
Implementation Method 1
a catalyst composition and one or more types of ethylenically unsaturated monomers which include at least one type of polyene, with the catalyst composition being allowed to catalyze polymerization of the monomers
Implementation Method 2
The active termini of some of the resulting polymers react with the cyanate group of the heterocyclic nitrile
Implementation Method 3
The protecting group can be removed in a separate de-protection step or often during normal compounding and processing
Data Source
AI summary
Vulcanizates with desirable properties such as reduced hysteresis and improved wear resistance can be obtained from a composition that includes particulate filler(s) and at least two types of terminally functionalized polymers. One type of polymer has a heterocyclic moiety at a terminus, while another type has at one of its termini an aryl group that includes at least two hydroxyl substituents. The functionalized polymers are provided by reacting terminally active polymers with, respectively, a heterocyclic nitrile and a compound that includes an aryl group having at least two directly bonded OGp substituents, where Gp is a protecting group, and a substituent that can react with the active terminus. The protecting groups can be removed so as to provide a terminal moiety that includes an aryl group having at least two directly bonded hydroxyl groups.