Low-Styrene Tire Tread Composition for Wet Grip and Snow Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rubber compositions for tire treads face challenges in achieving a balanced improvement of wet performance, rolling resistance performance, and snow performance, as these properties often conflict with each other.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition for tire treads is formulated with a diene rubber component having a total styrene amount less than 10 mass%, combined with a thermoplastic elastomer and a resin, along with silica, to enhance the balance of wet, rolling resistance, and snow performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a diene rubber having a low glass transition temperature is added to improve rolling resistance performance and snow performance, then wet performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the rubber component by limiting total styrene content to less than 10 mass% and specifying the type of diene rubber used. This parameter change allows the rubber to achieve low glass transition temperature for improved rolling resistance and snow performance while maintaining adequate wet performance through the specific compositional constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite rubber composition by combining multiple rubber components (diene rubber with low glass transition temperature, styrene butadiene rubber, and other elastomers) in specific proportions. This composite approach allows the synergistic combination of low rolling resistance and good wet performance that cannot be achieved with a single rubber type.
2Loss of energy
If the total styrene amount of the rubber component is reduced to less than 10 mass %, then processing performance and adhesion deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the styrene content parameter to a specific range (less than 10 mass% but above a lower threshold) and compensates by adjusting other compositional parameters such as the types and amounts of diene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and additives. This balanced parameter set maintains processing performance while achieving low rolling resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite rubber system containing multiple elastomer types (diene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and other components) where each component contributes different properties. The combined composite maintains adequate processing performance and adhesion even with reduced total styrene content, as other components compensate for the reduced styrene-related properties.
Data Source
AI summary
The rubber composition for a tire tread according to the embodiment contains a diene rubber component, a thermoplastic elastomer, a resin, and silica. The diene rubber component has a total styrene amount of less than 10 mass %. The thermoplastic elastomer is at least one selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer of a styrene-based monomer and a diene monomer and a hydrogenated material thereof and has a butylene unit content of 25 mass % or less based on the total mass of the ethylene unit and the butylene unit. The resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of a styrene-based resin and a hydrogenated petroleum resin. The amount of the thermoplastic elastomer is 1 to 10 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber component.