Low-Tg Hydrocarbon Resin Plasticizer for Tire Rubber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tire compositions face challenges in simultaneously reducing rolling resistance, improving hardness, road behavior, and driving comfort, while also ensuring ease of industrial processing, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition is developed using a diene elastomer with a glass transition temperature of less than −40° C., a reinforcing filler within a specific range, and a combination of plasticizers including a low-Tg hydrocarbon resin and a supplementary plasticizer, optimized to achieve a balance between rolling resistance and hardness, along with improved processability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If high-Tg resin is used as plasticizer, then rolling resistance is reduced, but hardness and processability are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite plasticizing system combining low-Tg hydrocarbon resin (more than 10 phr) with supplementary plasticizers (plasticizing oils and/or high-Tg hydrocarbon resins). This composite approach allows the low-Tg resin to reduce rolling resistance while the supplementary plasticizers maintain processability by ensuring adequate raw composition viscosity, thus resolving the contradiction between energy loss reduction and manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the glass transition temperature parameter of the plasticizing system by selecting hydrocarbon resins with Tg between -40°C and 20°C, and controlling the ratio of different plasticizers. This parameter optimization enables the composition to achieve both low rolling resistance and good processability by tuning the thermal and rheological properties of the plasticizing system.
2Ease of manufacture
If low-Tg resin is used to improve tack and processability, then industrial feasibility is improved, but rolling resistance and hardness performance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite plasticizing system where low-Tg hydrocarbon resin (providing tack and processability) is combined with supplementary plasticizers including plasticizing oils and/or high-Tg hydrocarbon resins (controlling rolling resistance and hardness). This composite structure allows each component to contribute its strengths while mitigating individual weaknesses, achieving both industrial feasibility and performance requirements.
3Strength
If filler content is increased to improve hardness, then road behavior is improved, but viscosity and processability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a specifically formulated plasticizing system (low-Tg hydrocarbon resin with supplementary plasticizers) as an intermediary between the filler and elastomer matrix. This plasticizing system acts as a mediator that maintains adequate viscosity and processability even at high filler contents (60-110 phr), allowing the filler to provide hardness and strength without causing excessive viscosity buildup that would impair manufacturing.
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 a compromise between desired performance metrics, enhancing rolling resistance, hardness, and industrial processability, resulting in improved tire performance and manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a combination of plasticizers comprising more than 10 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between −40° C. and 20° C.
Implementation Method 2
one reinforcing filler at a content within a range extending from 60 to 110 parts by weight per hundred parts by weight of elastomer (phr)
Data Source
AI summary
A rubber composition is based on at least one diene elastomer with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than −40° C., one reinforcing filler at a content from 60 to 110 parts by weight per hundred parts by weight of elastomer (phr), one vulcanization system and one combination of plasticizers, the said combination of plasticizers comprising more than 10 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between −40° C. and 20° C. and at least one supplementary plasticizer selected from plasticizing oils, hydrocarbon resins with a Tg of greater than 20° C. and their mixtures, the total content of plasticizer being within a range extending from 25 to 65 phr, the contents of reinforcing filler and of plasticizer being such that the ratio of the total content of filler to the total content of plasticizer is within a range extending from 1.8 to 2.5.