Rubber Surface Refresh Coating for Temporary Tack Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refresh agents for uncured rubber compositions are highly volatile, adding weight through adhesives or being ineffective in all building processes, and mechanical methods may not be suitable for all processes, particularly in the tire and air spring industry.
Innovation Solution
A coated rubber composition using a liquid refresh agent such as terpenes, limonene, carvone, and other organic compounds with specific evaporation rates and flash points, applied to the surface of uncured rubber components to temporarily enhance tack and facilitate joining without the need for additional adhesives or extensive mechanical methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional refresh agents (toluene, hexane) are used to temporarily increase tack, then rubber components can be joined, but the refresh agents are highly volatile causing safety and environmental issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the refresh agent by using esters with higher molecular weights and specific evaporation rates (0.01-10 mg/min at 25°C). This parameter change reduces volatility while maintaining the ability to temporarily enhance tack for joining rubber components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs esters that serve as temporary, short-lived refresh agents that evaporate completely after serving their purpose of enhancing tack during the joining process, leaving no residual adhesive layer. This eliminates the harmful effects of persistent volatile compounds.
2Reliability
If adhesives are used to join uncured rubber components, then components are held together, but additional weight is added to the rubber article
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the adhesive layer from the joining process by using refresh agents that temporarily enhance the natural tack of uncured rubber. This removes the additional weight component while maintaining the joining capability during building and curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the uncured rubber components to join themselves through enhanced natural tack provided by the refresh agent, eliminating the need for external adhesives. The rubber components serve their own joining function without additional material layers.
3Reliability
If mechanical joining methods are used for uncured rubber components, then components are held together, but these methods are not effective in all building processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal joining solution that works across all building processes (highly automated to entirely manual) by using refresh agents that enhance the natural tack of rubber. This single approach replaces the need for different mechanical methods in different processes, providing adaptability and versatility.
4Ease of operation
If highly volatile refresh agents are used, then tack is enhanced quickly, but evaporation occurs too rapidly affecting processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the evaporation rate parameter of the refresh agent to fall within 0.01-10 mg/min at 25°C, which provides a balanced duration of action. This parameter change ensures the refresh agent remains on the rubber surface long enough to provide adequate tack enhancement during joining operations, unlike highly volatile agents that evaporate too quickly.
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 solution provides a strong, temporary bond for uncured rubber components during the curing process, reducing weight and VOC emissions, and is effective across various manufacturing processes, including those that require multiple components or layers, like tires and air springs.
Implementation Method 1
Solvent refresh agents, such as toluene and hexane, may also be used to temporarily increase the tack inherent in the uncured rubber sufficiently to join the rubber components
Implementation Method 2
applying a refresh agent to a surface of a first uncured rubber component... thereby forming a first coated surface; and joining a second uncured rubber component to the first coated surface
Implementation Method 3
an evaporation rate of about 0.1 mg/min to about 8 mg/min at 25° C.
Data Source
AI summary
A coated rubber composition includes a rubber composition coated with a liquid refresh agent selected from the group consisting of one or more liquid terpenes, limonene, carvone, pinene, pine needle oil, citral, orange oil, C9-C15 aliphatics, C9-C15 cycloaliphatics, ethyl lactate, dipentene, 1,8-cineole, eucalyptol, citronellol, geraniol, citronellene, terpinen-4-ol, and combinations thereof. A method of application and a coated rubber composition are also disclosed.