Rubber Composition for Tire Treads with Balanced Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rubber compositions for tire treads face challenges in achieving a balanced improvement in fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and wet grip performance while maintaining good processability, as methods to enhance these properties often lead to increased hardness and reduced processability.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition synthesized by copolymerizing a conjugated diene monomer and a specific compound, combined with carbon black and/or silica, using emulsion polymerization to achieve a balanced molecular weight and glass transition temperature, thereby improving fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and wet grip performance while maintaining good processability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a functional group having an affinity for filler is introduced into the polymer chain end, then fuel economy and abrasion resistance are improved, but the hardness of rubber composition increases and processability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the polymer by introducing specific functional groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl, or amine groups) at the chain ends through controlled polymerization. This allows the rubber to achieve improved fuel economy and abrasion resistance while maintaining processability by carefully selecting the type and amount of functional groups introduced.
2Reliability
If a high molecular weight polymer having a molecular weight of 250,000 or more is used, then abrasion resistance is improved, but the hardness of rubber composition increases and processability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the high molecular weight characteristics in specific polymer chains while maintaining a distribution of molecular weights in the composition. This allows some chains to provide excellent abrasion resistance while others maintain lower viscosity for good processability, achieving both goals simultaneously.
3Reliability
If a polymer having a high glass transition temperature (Tg) is used to improve wet grip performance, then wet grip performance is improved, but the hardness of rubber composition increases and processability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite rubber composition by combining polymers with high Tg (for wet grip performance) with fillers having specific surface areas and pore structures. The porous filler structure and functional groups at polymer chain ends create a composite system that achieves improved wet grip while maintaining processability through the synergistic interaction between polymer and filler phases.
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 achieves a balanced improvement in fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and wet grip performance while ensuring good processability, making it suitable for tire treads with enhanced performance characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
the copolymer is synthesized by emulsion polymerization
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a rubber composition that shows a balanced improvement in fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and wet grip performance while having good processability, and a pneumatic tire including a tread formed from the rubber composition. The present invention relates to a rubber composition containing: a copolymer synthesized by copolymerization of a conjugated diene monomer and a compound represented by the formula (1) below; and carbon black and/or silica,wherein R11 and R12 are the same as or different from each other and each represent a hydrogen atom or a C1-C30 hydrocarbon group.