Foamed Rubber Tread Using Starch Pellets for Ice Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire rubber compositions for winter tires do not adequately enhance on-ice performance, as conventional methods using foamed rubber and additives like hard particles and porous materials do not consistently achieve sufficient friction and grip on icy surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition for tires incorporating 100 parts of diene rubber with 0.5 to 20 parts of pellets comprising paper powder and starch, with a water content of 5 mass % or more, which undergoes water vapor foaming during vulcanization molding to create a foamed rubber tread, improving traction and grip without using organic solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foamed rubber is used in tread rubber to improve on-ice performance, then friction force on icy and snowy road surface is increased, but environmental load increases due to use of organic solvents as foaming agents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the foaming mechanism from chemical (organic solvent-based) to physical (water vapor-based). By using water as a foaming agent that vaporizes during vulcanization, the invention eliminates harmful organic solvents while maintaining the foamed rubber structure that improves on-ice performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts water, which would normally be a harmless byproduct, into a useful foaming agent. The water contained in the starch granules vaporizes during vulcanization to create foam cells, transforming a simple substance into a beneficial foaming mechanism that eliminates environmental harm.
2Reliability
If hard particles and porous particles are added to improve on-ice performance, then friction force is increased, but sufficient effect is not always obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system where starch granules serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as foaming agents, provide hard particles for scratching ice, and create porous structures for water removal. This multi-functional composite approach replaces the need for multiple separate additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The starch granules perform multiple functions: foaming (through water vapor generation), providing hard particles (starch itself), and creating porous structure (after foaming). This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate additives and achieves sufficient on-ice performance improvement.
3Strength
If paper fibers and phenol type curing resin are added to increase rigidity, then structural strength is improved, but on-ice performance is not addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material where starch granules embedded in rubber matrix provide both structural reinforcement and on-ice performance enhancement. The starch particles act as both filler for rigidity and functional additive for ice interaction, combining multiple benefits in one material system.
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 use of paper powder and starch pellets enhances on-ice performance by creating a foamed rubber with improved water absorption and scratch effects, reducing environmental impact and costs while maintaining abrasion resistance.
Implementation Method 1
pellets comprising paper powder and starch and having water content of 5 mass % or more, which undergoes water vapor foaming during vulcanization molding to create a foamed rubber tread
Implementation Method 2
The use of paper powder and starch pellets enhances on-ice performance by creating a foamed rubber with improved water absorption and scratch effects
Data Source
AI summary
A rubber composition for a tire comprises 100 parts by mass of a rubber component comprising diene rubber, and from 0.5 to 20 parts by mass of pellets comprising paper powder and starch and having water content of 5 mass % or more. A tire is provided with a tread rubber part comprising a foamed rubber formed by the rubber composition. A method for manufacturing a tire comprises mixing from 0.5 to 20 parts by mass of pellets comprising paper powder and starch and having water content of 5 mass % or more with 100 parts by mass of a rubber component comprising diene rubber to prepare a rubber composition, producing an unvulcanized tire using the rubber composition obtained, and vulcanization molding the unvulcanized tire.