Tire Polymer Composition Balancing Crystallinity and Processability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The processability of highly saturated diene-based polymers is reduced due to increased crystallinity, which affects the production of rubber materials with high strength and low wear resistance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a highly saturated diene-based polymer and a paraffin wax with a melting point of 75°C or more into a polymer composition, along with a hydrogenated conjugated diene-based polymer, to improve processability while maintaining high strength and wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a highly saturated diene-based polymer is used to obtain high strength and low wear rubber, then the strength and wear resistance are improved, but the processability is reduced due to increased crystallinity
Solution Approach 1:
A paraffin wax with a melting point of 70°C or higher is introduced as an intermediary substance to modify the polymer composition. The paraffin wax interferes with the crystallization process of the highly saturated diene-based polymer, reducing its crystallinity and improving processability while maintaining the strength and wear resistance properties provided by the polymer's saturation structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The melting point parameter of the wax component is specifically controlled to be 70°C or higher. This parameter change ensures that the wax remains solid during mixing and processing but melts at processing temperatures, effectively reducing polymer crystallinity during the process while maintaining structural integrity in the final product.
2Strength
If the crystallinity of the highly saturated diene-based polymer is increased to improve strength, then the strength is improved, but the processability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The paraffin wax acts as a mediating agent that selectively interferes with the crystallization of the diene-based polymer without affecting the polymer's inherent strength mechanisms. The wax molecules disrupt the regular packing of polymer chains, reducing crystallinity and improving processability while the polymer's saturated structure maintains its tensile strength.
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 polymer composition achieves improved processability and maintains high strength and wear resistance in cross-linked products, such as tires, by using a specific ratio and molecular weight of the diene-based polymer and paraffin wax.
Implementation Method 1
a paraffin wax having a melting point of 70°C or more
Implementation Method 2
there is a concern that the processability of the polymer composition is reduced due to increased crystallinity of the polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A polymer composition includes a polymer (A) having, when composition ratios (molar ratios) of a structural unit represented by formula (1), a structural unit represented by formula (2), a structural unit represented by formula (3), and a structural unit represented by formula (4) in the polymer (A) are p, q, r, and s, respectively, a value α represented by formula (i) of 0.60 or more: α=p+0.5×r/p+q+0.5×r+s with a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1.0×105 to 2.0×106 in terms of polystyrene measured by gel permeation chromatography, and a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond; and a paraffin wax (B) having a melting point of 70°C or more.