Plant-Oil Rubber Composition for Tire Fuel Economy and Bleed Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rubber compositions using mineral oils face challenges in achieving excellent fuel economy, bleed resistance, and life cycle assessment (LCA) performance, particularly in reducing CO2 emissions, due to limitations in molecular weight and interaction with fillers.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition incorporating a plant oil that is liquid at 23°C, with a weight average molecular weight over 800, specific absorbance characteristics, and high passage efficiency through wire cloth, which interacts with fillers like carbon black, reducing double bonds and enhancing molecular weight, thereby improving fuel economy and bleed resistance, and offering better LCA performance through carbon neutrality and recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If plant oils are used as alternatives to mineral oils, then LCA performance is improved, but fuel economy and bleed resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by selecting plant oils with specific molecular weight ranges (greater than 800) and controlled levels of double bonds (carbonyl groups conjugated with double bonds). This changes the physical and chemical parameters of the plasticizer to achieve both environmental benefits and performance requirements. The absorbance ratio at 450nm/600nm is used as a parameter to control the interaction with fillers, ensuring proper balance between fuel economy and bleed resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system by combining plant oils with specific molecular structures with rubber compounds and fillers (carbon black, silica). The plant oil acts as a plasticizer that interacts with both the rubber matrix and fillers, creating a multi-component system where the plant oil's specific properties (molecular weight, double bond content) are optimized to achieve synergistic effects in fuel economy, bleed resistance, and LCA performance.
2Reliability
If plant oils with high molecular weight are used, then bleed resistance is improved, but fuel economy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the molecular weight parameter of plant oils to be greater than 800, which improves bleed resistance by reducing oil migration. Simultaneously, the patent controls the absorbance ratio (450nm/600nm) to ensure proper interaction with fillers, which maintains fuel economy by preventing excessive hysteresis loss. This dual parameter control resolves the contradiction between bleed resistance and fuel economy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different regions of interaction: the plant oil molecules with high molecular weight provide bleed resistance in the bulk rubber matrix, while the controlled double bond content and absorbance characteristics ensure proper interaction with filler surfaces in localized regions, maintaining fuel economy without sacrificing bleed resistance.
3Strength
If plant oils with high double bond content are used, then interaction with fillers is enhanced, but fuel economy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent precisely controls the double bond content parameter by selecting plant oils with specific absorbance ratios at 450nm and 600nm. This parameter control ensures that the plant oil has sufficient interaction with fillers (improved by carbonyl groups conjugated with double bonds) while avoiding excessive interaction that would increase hysteresis loss and deteriorate fuel economy. The molecular weight parameter (greater than 800) is simultaneously optimized to balance these effects.
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 composition exhibits improved fuel economy, enhanced bleed resistance, and superior LCA performance by utilizing a plant oil that meets specific criteria, including high molecular weight and interaction with fillers, leading to reduced CO2 emissions and improved recyclability.
Implementation Method 1
the carbonyl groups may be conjugated with the double bonds to cause interaction with filler such as carbon black
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a rubber composition having excellent overall performance in terms of fuel economy and bleed resistance as well as good LCA performance (e.g., reduction of CO2 emissions), and a tire including the composition. A rubber composition containing a plant oil satisfying the conditions (1)-(4): (1) it is liquid at 23° C.; (2) it has a GPC weight-average molecular weight of more than 800; (3) when it is 3-fold diluted with THF, it satisfies the following relationship with respect to the absorbances at 450 nm and 600 nm measured with a spectrophotometer: Absorbance at 450 nm−Absorbance at 600 nm≥0.05; and (4) it satisfies the following relationship with respect to the weights before and after passing 100 g of the plant oil at 23-30° C. through 20 mesh plain weave wire cloth: (Weight after passing through plain weave wire cloth)/(Weight before passing through plain weave wire cloth)×100≥99.0.