Rubber Composition Dry Grip Enhancement via Methacrylic Ester
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Solution Overview
Problem
Snow tires face a trade-off in grip performance, where improved grip on dry ground compromises grip on snowy surfaces, and existing solutions fail to enhance dry ground grip without degrading snow performance.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition with 50-120 phr reinforcing filler, a plasticizing system of 15-65 phr liquid plasticizer and 1-25 phr hydrocarbon resin, and a crosslinking system, where the elastomer matrix contains at least 20 mol% methacrylic acid ester units, enhancing dry ground grip without affecting snow performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastomers with methacrylic ester monomer units bearing alcohol functions are introduced to improve winter grip, then grip on snowy ground is improved, but the complexity of the rubber composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the composition by changing the approach from using elastomers with alcohol functions to directly incorporating methacrylic acid ester monomer units (20-80 mol%) into the rubber composition. This parameter change achieves the same winter grip improvement with a more straightforward compositional approach, reducing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential functional requirement (winter grip improvement) from the complex elastomer system with alcohol functions and achieves it through a simpler direct incorporation of methacrylic acid ester monomers. This extraction eliminates unnecessary complexity while preserving the beneficial effect
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 significantly improves grip on dry surfaces while maintaining or enhancing grip on snowy surfaces, as demonstrated by friction coefficient measurements.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid plasticizer exhibiting a Tg of less than -65°C and a hydrocarbon resin exhibiting a Tg of more than 20°C
Implementation Method 2
a crosslinking system, an elastomer matrix reactive to the crosslinking system
Implementation Method 3
between 50 and 120 phr of a reinforcing filler
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a rubber composition based on between 50 and 120 phr of a reinforcing filler, on a plasticizing system comprising a content A of between 15 and 65 phr of a liquid plasticizer exhibiting a Tg of less than -65°C and a content B of between 1 and 25 phr of a hydrocarbon resin exhibiting a Tg of more than 20°C, a total content A+B being between 30 and 80 phr, on an elastomer matrix that is reactive to the crosslinking system, which elastomer matrix comprises an elastomer A comprising monomer units of a first methacrylic acid ester which represent at least 20 mol% of the monomer units of the elastomer A, and on a crosslinking system. The rubber composition makes it possible to improve the dry grip of tires whose tread consists of the rubber composition, without degrading, or even while improving, the snow grip of tires.