Rubber Composition Low Tg Hydrocarbon Resin Rolling Resistance
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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 maintaining industrial processability, which are not adequately addressed by existing solutions that incorporate silica or high glass transition temperature resins.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition featuring a diene elastomer with a glass transition temperature lower than -40°C, a reinforcing filler within a specific weight range, and a combination of plasticizers including a hydrocarbon resin with a glass transition temperature between -40°C and 20°C, along with a complementary plasticizer, optimized to achieve a balanced performance in rolling resistance, hardness, and processability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If high glass transition temperature resin is used as plasticizer, then rolling resistance is reduced, but raw composition viscosity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines low Tg hydrocarbon resin and high Tg hydrocarbon resin in a specific ratio (low Tg resin 5-20 phr, high Tg resin 5-20 phr) to create a plasticizing system that delivers both low rolling resistance and acceptable raw composition viscosity. The low Tg resin reduces viscosity for processability while the high Tg resin reduces rolling resistance, and their combination achieves both goals simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite plasticizing system comprising two different types of hydrocarbon resins with different glass transition temperatures, along with silica reinforcing filler and diene elastomer. This composite approach allows the formulation to achieve multiple performance targets that cannot be met with a single plasticizer type.
2Loss of energy
If silica is added as reinforcing filler, then rolling resistance is reduced, but hardness of cooked composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the silica content within a specific range (50-70 phr) and adjusts the plasticizer composition and ratio to control the hardness of the cooked composition. By changing the parameters of the plasticizing system (using combined low Tg and high Tg resins), the invention achieves the desired balance between rolling resistance and hardness.
3Ease of manufacture
If low glass transition temperature resin is used, then raw composition viscosity is reduced, but rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges low Tg hydrocarbon resin (for viscosity reduction) with high Tg hydrocarbon resin (for rolling resistance reduction) in a balanced formulation. The low Tg resin improves processability while the high Tg resin compensates for the potential increase in rolling resistance, achieving both low viscosity and low rolling resistance.
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 rolling resistance, hardness, and processability, enhancing the overall performance of tire compositions and improving road behavior and driving comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a combination of plasticizers comprising more than 10 phr of at least one resin hydrocarbon with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between -40°C and 20°C
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a rubber composition based on at least one diene elastomer with a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of less than -40°C, a reinforcing filler with a content included in a range of from 50 to 70 parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer (phe), a vulcanisation system, and a combination of plasticisers, said combination of plasticisers including more than 10 phe (parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer) of at least one hydrocarbon resin with a glass-transition temperature (Tg) of between -40°C and 20°C and at least one complementary plasticiser selected from the group made up of the plasticiser oils, the hydrocarbon resins with a Tg higher than 20°C and the mixtures thereof, the total content of plasticiser being included in a range of from 15 to 35 phe, the content of reinforcing filler and of plasticiser being such that the ratio of the total content of filler to the total content of plasticiser is within a range of from 2 to 3.4.