Silane-Modified Diene Polymer Rubber Composition for Tire Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rubber compositions for tires face challenges in achieving simultaneous high levels of processability, rolling resistance performance, and hardness while minimizing plasticizer migration and mold contamination during production.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition comprising a specific conjugated diene polymer, combined with synthetic and natural rubbers, carbon black, and vulcanization agents, which enhances processability, mechanical strength, and rolling resistance while suppressing plasticizer migration and mold contamination through controlled vulcanization and filler dispersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a plasticizer is added to improve processability and flowability, then processability is improved, but plasticizer migration occurs over time causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a silane-modified polymer as an intermediary substance that replaces traditional plasticizers. This intermediary provides the necessary processability and flowability during manufacturing while being chemically bound to the rubber matrix through silane crosslinking, preventing migration and maintaining performance stability over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical state of the plasticizer from a small-molecule additive that can migrate to a polymer-bound silane structure. By modifying the molecular weight and chemical bonding parameters, the material maintains processability during manufacturing but prevents migration during service, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If carbon black with large particle size is used to improve processability, then processability is improved, but mechanical strength and hardness are deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite filler system combining silane-modified polymer with carbon black and silica. This composite approach allows the silane-modified polymer to act as a surface modifier on the filler particles, improving processability through better dispersion while the combined filler system maintains mechanical strength and hardness properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane-modified polymer serves as an intermediary between the filler particles and the rubber matrix. It improves the interfacial adhesion and dispersion of carbon black, enabling better processability without sacrificing mechanical strength, as the polymer bridges the filler and matrix effectively.
3Ease of manufacture
If plasticizer content is increased to improve flowability, then flowability is improved, but mold contamination increases due to bleeding out
Solution Approach 1:
The silane-modified polymer acts as a bound intermediary that provides flowability enhancement without the migration issues of traditional plasticizers. The silane crosslinking prevents the plasticizing effect from bleeding out to the mold surface, eliminating contamination while maintaining improved flowability during processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the molecular parameters of the plasticizer from low molecular weight to high molecular weight polymer-bound structure. This parameter change enables the material to provide flowability improvement during processing while the high molecular weight and crosslinked structure prevent migration and bleeding out that cause mold contamination.
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 high processability, rolling resistance, and mechanical strength with low plasticizer migration and reduced mold contamination, maintaining tire performance over time and improving manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a vulcanization rate (t90) of the diene polymer (B) measured under the measuring conditions below is 25 minutes or less
Implementation Method 2
70 parts by mass of carbon black of ASTM N330
Implementation Method 3
a torque at 140° C. is measured using an oscillating type curemeter
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a rubber composition having a good processability, and simultaneously having a rolling resistance performance and hardness after vulcanization at high levels, with which the contamination of the mold for processing due to the bleeding-out of the plasticizer can be suppressed, and in which the migration of the plasticizer and so on is suppressed to a low level; a vulcanized rubber obtained by vulcanizing the rubber composition; and to a tire including the rubber composition as at least a part thereof. The rubber composition contains 100 parts by mass of rubber component (A) composed of at least one of a synthetic rubber and a natural rubber, 0.1 to 50 parts by mass of a diene polymer (B), 20 to 150 parts by mass of a filler (C), 0.1 to 10 parts by mass of a vulcanizing agent (D), 0.1 to 15 parts by mass of a vulcanization accelerator (E) and 0.1 to 15 parts by mass of vulcanization aid (F).