Mercaptosilane Silica Rubber Composition for Faster Tire Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rubber compositions containing highly saturated diene elastomers require longer curing times due to slower vulcanization kinetics, leading to reduced productivity in tire manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a combination of hydrophilic silica and prehydrophobic silica treated with mercaptosilane into the rubber composition to enhance vulcanization efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If highly saturated diene elastomer is used to achieve improved wear resistance and rolling resistance, then the compromise of properties between rigidity and hysteresis is improved, but the vulcanization kinetics become slower resulting in reduced productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite silica system combining hydrophilic silica and prehydrophobic silica (treated with mercaptosilane) to accelerate vulcanization kinetics. This composite filler system creates multiple interaction sites with the highly saturated diene elastomer, promoting faster crosslinking while maintaining the improved wear resistance and rolling resistance properties that characterize this elastomer class.
Solution Approach 2:
The prehydrophobic silica treated with mercaptosilane acts as an intermediary that facilitates faster vulcanization. The mercaptosilane treatment creates reactive surface groups that accelerate the crosslinking reaction with the highly saturated diene elastomer, effectively mediating the vulcanization process to reduce press occupation time while preserving the elastomer's performance benefits.
2Reliability
If highly saturated diene elastomer is used to achieve improved wear resistance and rolling resistance, then the compromise of properties between rigidity and hysteresis is improved, but the curing time increases leading to reduced manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite silica system combining hydrophilic silica and prehydrophobic silica (treated with mercaptosilane) to accelerate vulcanization kinetics. This composite filler system creates multiple interaction sites with the highly saturated diene elastomer, promoting faster crosslinking while maintaining the improved wear resistance and rolling resistance properties that characterize this elastomer class.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the silica surface properties through mercaptosilane treatment, changing the surface chemistry from hydrophilic to prehydrophobic. This parameter change in the filler characteristics creates more reactive sites that accelerate the vulcanization reaction, thereby reducing curing time while preserving the elastomer's performance benefits.
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 combined use of hydrophilic and prehydrophobic silica accelerates the vulcanization process, reducing press occupation time while maintaining the desired balance of stiffness and hysteresis properties.
Implementation Method 1
a reinforcing filler which contains a silica prehydrophobicized prior to its use in the rubber composition by treatment with a mercaptosilane
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a rubber composition that comprises a highly saturated diene elastomer consisting of a copolymer of ethylene and a 1,3-diene, in which ethylene units constitute more than 50 mol % of the monomer units of the copolymer, a vulcanizing system, a silane coupling agent and a reinforcing filler that contains a silica subjected to a hydrophobic treatment with a blocked or unblocked mercaptosilane prior to use in the rubber composition, and a hydrophilic silica. Such a composition exhibits improved curing properties while maintaining the compromise between the properties of stiffness and hysteresis.