Sulfur-Containing Polymer Additive for Tire Wet Grip and Fuel Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vulcanizing agents for tires, such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, fail to improve both wet grip performance and fuel efficiency in a balanced manner, and they also suffer from poor affinity and dispersibility with rubber.
Innovation Solution
A sulfur-containing unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer, derived from reacting sulfur with an unsaturated bond of a polymer of unsaturated hydrocarbon, particularly an alicyclic unsaturated compound with a norbornene skeleton, is added to the rubber composition to enhance viscoelastic properties and cut chip resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If insoluble sulfur is used as a vulcanizing agent, then blooming is suppressed, but affinity with rubber is low and dispersibility is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite vulcanizing agent system comprising insoluble sulfur (5-50 wt%) and a sulfur-containing unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer (50-95 wt%). The polymer component acts as a carrier that improves dispersibility and affinity with rubber, while the insoluble sulfur provides blooming suppression. This composite approach allows both components to contribute their respective advantages without compromising each other's functions.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional vulcanizing agent compositions are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but rolling resistance and wet grip performance are not improved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the vulcanizing agent by introducing a sulfur-containing unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer with specific molecular weight (1,000-10,000) and sulfur content (10-40 wt%). This parameter optimization enables the vulcanizing agent to improve rolling resistance and wet grip performance while maintaining ease of manufacture through conventional mixing and vulcanization processes.
3Strength
If sulfur content in the polymer is increased to improve vulcanization efficiency, then affinity with rubber improves, but dispersibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the sulfur content parameter within a specific range (10-40 wt%) to achieve the best balance between affinity and dispersibility. This parameter optimization ensures that the polymer has sufficient sulfur content to provide good affinity with rubber and effective vulcanization, while maintaining adequate dispersibility for homogeneous distribution in the rubber composition.
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 sulfur-containing unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer improves wet grip performance and fuel efficiency of tires in a well-balanced manner by suppressing energy absorption and enhancing entanglement motion, while also improving cut chip resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a reaction product obtained by reacting sulfur with an unsaturated bond of a polymer of an unsaturated hydrocarbon
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a sulfur-containing unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer which can improve wet grip performance and fuel efficiency of a tire in a well-balanced manner by being blended into a rubber composition for a tire. A sulfur-containing unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer of the present invention is a reaction product obtained by reacting sulfur with an unsaturated bond in a polymer of an unsaturated hydrocarbon.