Silane Coupling Agent Composition for Silica Dispersion in Rubber
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional silane compounds with high-polarity reactive functional groups exhibit poor dispersion and mixing with low-polarity organic polymer materials, leading to inadequate hardness, tensile properties, and viscoelasticity in rubber compositions, and insufficient adhesion to inorganic materials, while compounds with low-polarity functional groups lack reactivity, and existing rubber compositions face complexity and cost issues.
Innovation Solution
A silane coupling agent composition containing a silane compound with a specific structure and a protein modifying agent is used to enhance the coupling reaction, improving dispersibility and viscoelastic properties of rubber compositions, even in the presence of impurities, and simplifying the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a silane compound with high-polarity reactive functional groups is used, then reactivity with inorganic materials is improved, but dispersion and mixing with low-polarity organic polymer materials deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The silane compound is designed with differentiated functional groups: high-polarity groups (mercapto, polysulfide, amino, epoxy) for inorganic material interaction and low-polarity hydrocarbon groups (alicyclic, aromatic) for organic polymer compatibility. This local quality differentiation allows the single compound to effectively bridge both polar and non-polar phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane compound functions as a composite coupling agent that integrates both high-polarity and low-polarity characteristics within a single molecular structure, enabling it to simultaneously interact with inorganic materials through polar groups and organic polymers through non-polar hydrocarbon chains.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a silane compound with low-polarity functional groups is used, then affinity with organic polymer materials is improved, but reactivity with inorganic materials deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The silane compound incorporates low-polarity hydrocarbon groups (alicyclic or aromatic rings with 6-30 carbons) that provide affinity for organic polymer materials, while simultaneously maintaining high-polarity reactive functional groups (mercapto, polysulfide, amino, or epoxy) that ensure reactivity with inorganic materials like silica and glass.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling agent combines hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains for polymer compatibility with hydrophilic reactive groups for inorganic material bonding, creating a amphiphilic structure that bridges the polar-nonpolar interface effectively.
3Reliability
If impurities in natural rubber are present, then the coupling reaction of silane coupling agent is inhibited, but using deproteinization processes increases complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The silane compound with its specific structure (hydrocarbon groups with 6-30 carbons and reactive functional groups) exhibits resistance to inhibition by protein impurities, allowing the coupling reaction to proceed effectively without requiring complex deproteinization pre-treatment of the natural rubber.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention modifies the silane compound parameters (hydrocarbon chain length, functional group type and ratio) to achieve insensitivity to protein impurities, thereby eliminating the need for additional deproteinization process steps and reducing overall process complexity and cost.
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 suppresses poor mixing and dispersion, enhances viscoelastic properties, reduces unvulcanized viscosity, and improves tensile properties and low fuel consumption performance of cross-linked rubber products.
Implementation Method 1
a silane compound having a reactive functional group and a hydrolyzable group
Implementation Method 2
a silane compound having a reactive functional group and a hydrolyzable group
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
[Problem to be solved] To provide a rubber composition which suppresses poor mixing or poor dispersion from occurring between an organic polymer material derived from natural rubber and an inorganic material such as silica and exhibits excellent viscoelastic properties, and a silane coupling agent composition used in the same. [Means to Solve the Problem] A silane coupling agent composition comprising a silane compound represented by Formula (1): wherein R1, R2, and R3 each independently represents a hydrocarbon group optionally containing an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom, or a hydrogen atom; L represents a hydrocarbon group optionally containing at least one hetero atom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur; a is an integer of 0 or 1; b is an integer of 0 or 1; c is each independently an integer of 0 or 1; d is each independently an integer of 0 or 1; e is an integer from 0 to 5; R4, R5, R6, and R7 represent a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or one of R4 or R5 and R6 or R7 may form a cross-linked structure represented by -(CH2)f-; and f is an integer from 1 to 5; R8, R9, R10 and R11 represent a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or one of R8 or R9 and R10 or R11 may form a cross-linked structure represented by -(CH2)g-; and g is an integer from 1 to 5; R16 is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbons, and R17 is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbons, where R12 and R13 bond to each other to form a double bond, and R14, R15, and R18 are a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbons or R14 and R15 bond to each other to form a double bond, and R12, R13, and R18 are a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbons; or R16 and R17 may bond to each other to form a 4 to 9 membered alicyclic hydrocarbon, where R14 and R15 bond to each other to form a double bond, and R12, R13, and R18 are a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbons; and a protein modifying agent.