Functionalized Rubber Mixture for Tire Wet Grip and Rolling Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire rubber mixtures face challenges in achieving a balance between improved winter properties, abrasion resistance, rolling resistance, and wet grip without compromising on processing ease, as the introduction of silica often leads to conflicting objectives such as increased wet grip and dry braking performance at the expense of rolling resistance and abrasion behavior.
Innovation Solution
A sulfur-crosslinkable rubber mixture comprising a blend of high molecular weight solution-polymerized diene polymer A and low molecular weight solution-polymerized polymer B, combined with silica and hydrocarbon resin, where the polymers are functionalized with groups like epoxy, hydroxy, and silane sulfide groups to enhance processing and filler-polymer interaction, resulting in improved properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silica is used as a filler to replace carbon black, then wet grip and dry braking performance are improved, but rolling resistance and abrasion behavior deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite filler system combining silica with specific rubber polymers (polybutadiene and styrene-butadiene rubber) to create a multi-component composite material that achieves both improved wet grip and reduced rolling resistance, resolving the traditional trade-off between these properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the molecular weight parameters of the rubber polymers used in combination with silica, employing both low molecular weight polybutadiene and high molecular weight styrene-butadiene rubber to optimize the balance between wet grip performance and rolling resistance characteristics
2Reliability
If silica is used as a filler to replace carbon black, then wet grip and dry braking performance are improved, but abrasion behavior deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system where silica is combined with specific ratios of polybutadiene and styrene-butadiene rubber, forming a multi-phase composite that simultaneously achieves improved wet grip and maintained abrasion resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different rubber polymer types with specific local properties to different aspects of the filler-rubber interaction, using polybutadiene for wet grip enhancement and styrene-butadiene rubber for abrasion resistance, creating localized functional optimization within the composite material
3Ease of manufacture
If functionalized polymers are used to improve filler-polymer interaction, then processing behavior is enhanced, but mixture complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical functional groups of the polymers (introducing epoxy, hydroxy, and silane sulfide groups) to improve filler-polymer interaction and processing behavior, while carefully controlling the molecular weight parameters to manage mixture complexity
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 mixture achieves a significant improvement in the trade-off between winter properties, abrasion resistance, rolling resistance, and wet grip, with enhanced processing behavior even at high filler content, leading to better tire performance without impairing wet grip.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the polymers A or B has at least one functional group selected from epoxy groups, hydroxy groups, and silane sulfide groups
Implementation Method 2
sulfur crosslinking takes place due to the vulcanization system added
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a sulfur-crosslinkable rubber mixture, containing: a rubber blend of at least one high-molecular-weight, solution-polymerized diene polymer A and at least one low-molecular-weight, solution-polymerized polymer B, wherein at least one of the polymers A or B is functionalized at the chain end and/or along the polymer chain and/or in a coupling center with at least one group selected from epoxy groups, hydroxy groups, carboxy groups, silane-sulfide groups, amino groups, siloxane groups, organosilicon groups, phthalocyanine groups, and from alkoxysilyl groups containing amino groups, 30 to 300 phr of at least one silicic acid, and 1 to 150 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin having a softening point according to ASTM E 28 (ring and ball) of 10 to 180 °C.