Rigid Spacer Silane for Tire Rubber Rolling Resistance and Grip
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rubber mixtures for vehicle tires face challenges in improving rolling resistance behavior, grip, especially wet grip, and stiffness, which affect handling performance.
Innovation Solution
A new type of silane with a rigid, long, and polar spacer group between silyl groups, featuring at least one aromatic group and multiple linking units, is introduced. This silane is filler-reactive, binding reversibly to silica via hydrogen bonds, enhancing the rubber mixture's property profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional silanes are used in rubber mixtures, then basic filler binding is achieved, but rolling resistance behavior, grip, and stiffness remain insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite silane structure combining an aromatic group (providing rigidity), multiple linking units (providing flexibility and polarity), and two silyl groups (providing filler reactivity). This composite molecular architecture simultaneously achieves improved rolling resistance through rigid aromatic cores and enhanced grip/stiffness through polar linking units that strengthen silica-rubber interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane molecule exhibits local quality differentiation: the aromatic groups provide local rigidity for rolling resistance improvement, while the polar linking units provide local flexibility and hydrogen bonding capability for enhanced grip. This spatial differentiation of functional properties within a single molecule resolves the contradiction between opposing performance requirements.
2Strength
If silanes with reactive sulfur groups are used to bind to polymers, then polymer-filler interaction is enhanced, but handling predictors and stiffness are not sufficiently improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reactive sulfur group from the silane structure, creating a non-polymer-reactive silane that binds exclusively to silica fillers. By removing the polymer-reactive component, the silane focuses its binding capability on filler surfaces, thereby improving handling predictors and stiffness without compromising essential filler-polymer interactions through alternative mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The aromatic group with polar linking units acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between silica fillers and rubber polymers. Although the silane itself does not react with polymers, its rigid aromatic structure with polar groups creates a bridging interface that enhances the overall polymer-filler network, improving handling characteristics.
3Manufacturing precision
If non-polymer-reactive silanes with two silyl groups are used, then filler reactivity is maximized, but wet grip and overall property profile remain insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the silane by introducing an aromatic group with polar linking units between the silyl groups. This parameter change transforms a simple alkylene-spaced disilane into a rigid, polar molecule that maintains high filler reactivity while adding hydrogen bonding capability and molecular rigidity, thereby improving wet grip through enhanced silica-rubber interface interactions.
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 new silane significantly improves the rubber mixture's handling predictors, including rolling resistance, grip, and stiffness, leading to better vehicle tire performance.
Implementation Method 1
binding reversibly to silica via hydrogen bonds
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a silane, a rubber compound containing the silane, and a vehicle tire incorporating the rubber compound in at least one component, as well as a method for producing the silane. The silane according to the invention has the following formula: (R1)oSi-R2-XA-[YA]mX-R2-Si(R1)o, wherein, according to the invention, it comprises the unit -R2-XA-[YA]mX-R2- with m = 0 to 4 in the spacer group. The rubber compound according to the invention contains at least one silane according to the invention.