Polymer Blend for Tire Tread Wear and Brake Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tire tread compositions face challenges in achieving a balance between wear resistance, brake performance, and long-term durability, particularly in self-driving applications where tire exchange frequency needs reduction and brake performance maintenance is critical, with existing methods requiring complex steps and limited compatibility with other rubber components.
Innovation Solution
A polymer blend comprising a hydrogenated diene-based random copolymer and a non-hydrogenated random copolymer, where the first polymer includes an aromatic vinyl compound, conjugated diene compound, and ethylene-derived units, and the second polymer includes aromatic and conjugated diene units, with specific SP value differences ensuring improved compatibility and reinforcement effects for enhanced wear resistance and brake performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrogenated polymer and non-hydrogenated polymer are separately kneaded with crosslinking agent and filler to produce intermediate compositions, then wear resistance and brake performance are improved, but the composition becomes complicated and admixture with other rubber components becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines hydrogenated polymer and non-hydrogenated polymer into a single polymer blend composition, eliminating the need for separate intermediate compositions. This merging approach maintains the wear resistance and brake performance benefits while significantly simplifying the kneading process and improving compatibility with other rubber components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite polymer blend consisting of hydrogenated polymer and non-hydrogenated polymer in specific ratios (30-70 wt% hydrogenated polymer). This composite structure provides both the durability benefits of hydrogenated polymer and the processability benefits of non-hydrogenated polymer, resolving the contradiction between performance and complexity.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If hydrogenated polymer and non-hydrogenated polymer are separately processed, then durability and wear resistance are enhanced, but the number of processing steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the processing of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated polymers into a single kneading step, reducing processing time while maintaining the durability benefits. The polymer blend is prepared in one operation rather than requiring separate intermediate composition preparations followed by further kneading.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares the polymer blend of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated polymers in advance as a pre-mixed composition. This preliminary action ensures proper compatibility and distribution before final product fabrication, maintaining durability while streamlining subsequent processing steps.
3Strength
If intermediate compositions are further kneaded to blend different rubber components, then wear resistance is improved, but the mixing becomes difficult and requires complicated steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite polymer blend that inherently combines the benefits of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated polymers. This composite structure provides excellent compatibility with other rubber components, eliminating the mixing difficulties encountered with separate intermediate compositions while maintaining high wear resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the compositional parameters of the polymer blend, specifically the ratio of hydrogenated to non-hydrogenated polymer (30-70 wt% hydrogenated). This parameter optimization ensures both high wear resistance and easy mixability with other rubber components, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of manufacture.
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 polymer blend enhances wear resistance, brake performance, and long-term characteristics by maintaining uniform entanglement between polymers, reducing separation, and extending the maintenance of brake performance, thus improving tire tread durability and compatibility with other materials.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining uniform entanglement between polymers, reducing separation
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a polymer blend which can allow for production of a tire tread excellent in wear resistance, and brake performance and long-term characteristics thereof, and a method for producing the polymer blend, as well as a rubber composition and a pneumatic tire each using the polymer blend. A polymer blend containing a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer is a random copolymer having an aromatic vinyl compound-derived constituent unit, a conjugated diene compound-derived constituent unit, and an ethylene-derived constituent unit, the second polymer is a non-hydrogenated random copolymer having an aromatic vinyl compound-derived constituent unit and a conjugated diene compound-derived constituent unit, and a value obtained by subtracting an SP value of the second polymer from an SP value of the first polymer is 0 or more and 0.6 or less.