High-Rigidity Rubber Composition Without Formaldehyde Emission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rubber compositions with high sulfur and vulcanization accelerator levels for tire rigidity suffer from sulfur migration, premature vulcanization, and degradation of mechanical properties, while increasing reinforcing load rates or using methylene acceptor/donor systems generate formaldehyde, a compound with environmental and regulatory concerns.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition incorporating a phenol-aldehyde resin based on aromatic polyphenols and specific aldehydes, which avoids formaldehyde production and maintains high rigidity across a wide temperature range, using aldehydes from renewable resources such as furfuraldehyde and 2,5-furanedicarboxaldehyde.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a concentrated vulcanization system with high sulfur and accelerator levels is used to achieve high rigidity, then low-deformation resistance is improved, but sulfur migration occurs causing effleurage and degradation of raw stickiness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sulfur from the concentrated vulcanization system and replaces it with an organic peroxide crosslinking system. This eliminates sulfur migration and effleurage while maintaining the rigidity benefits through peroxide crosslinking of the polymer chains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the crosslinking mechanism from sulfur-based to peroxide-based, fundamentally altering the chemical parameters of the vulcanization system. This parameter change eliminates the harmful sulfur migration while achieving similar or improved crosslinking density and rigidity.
2Strength
If a concentrated vulcanization system is used to achieve high rigidity, then low-deformation resistance is improved, but premature vulcanization occurs during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the concentrated sulfur and accelerator system that causes premature vulcanization and replaces it with an organic peroxide crosslinking system that remains stable during storage and activates only under controlled conditions, extending storage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses organic peroxides as stable, shelf-life crosslinking agents that do not degrade or activate prematurely like sulfur systems, providing long-term storage stability while maintaining crosslinking effectiveness when needed.
3Strength
If reinforcing filler rate is increased to achieve high stiffness, then rigidity is improved, but hysteresis properties deteriorate increasing rolling resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the crosslinking chemistry from sulfur to organic peroxide, which creates different crosslink bond characteristics that reduce hysteresis losses. This parameter change allows achieving high stiffness through improved crosslinking efficiency rather than simply increasing filler content, thereby reducing rolling resistance.
4Strength
If methylene acceptor/donor systems are used to achieve high rigidity, then stiffness is improved, but formaldehyde is generated causing environmental concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the methylene acceptor/donor system that generates formaldehyde, replacing it with an organic peroxide crosslinking system that achieves stiffness through direct oxidation crosslinking without formaldehyde byproducts, resolving the environmental concern.
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 composition achieves improved low-strain rigidity and maintains mechanical properties at high temperatures without generating formaldehyde, addressing the limitations of conventional systems while reducing environmental impact.
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, by condensation, a three-dimensional reinforcing resin
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a rubber composition including at least one phenol-aldehyde resin made up of: at least one aromatic polyphenol including at least one aromatic ring having at least two hydroxyl functions in the meta position relative to one another, the two ortho positions of at least one of the hydroxyl functions being non-substituted; and at least one aldehyde of formula (A): (A) wherein: X includes N, S or O; and R is -H or -CHO. The invention also relates to a method for producing said composition, a rubber composite and a tyre.