Pneumatic Tire Rubber Composition Balancing Abrasion and Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rubber compositions for tires face challenges in achieving a balance between fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and processability, with hydrogenated diene polymers used alone often resulting in poor adhesion to adjacent components and inferior Mooney viscosity.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition combining hydrogenated copolymers with general purpose rubbers like natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, or styrene-butadiene rubber, optimized with specific molecular weights, hydrogenation degrees, and styrene content, along with silica and carbon black fillers, to enhance abrasion resistance and adhesion while maintaining fuel economy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If hydrogenated copolymers are used alone to improve abrasion resistance, then abrasion resistance is improved, but adhesion to adjacent components deteriorates and Mooney viscosity becomes inferior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite rubber composition combining hydrogenated copolymer (providing abrasion resistance) with general purpose rubber (providing adhesion and processability). This composite approach allows the hydrogenated copolymer to contribute its wear resistance properties while the general purpose rubber compensates for adhesion and Mooney viscosity deficiencies, resolving the contradiction between abrasion resistance and reliability.
2Strength
If hydrogenated copolymers with higher degrees of hydrogenation are used to improve abrasion resistance, then abrasion resistance is improved, but Mooney viscosity increases and processability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the degree of hydrogenation parameter within a specific range (30-100 mol%) rather than using maximum hydrogenation. This parameter optimization balances abrasion resistance improvement with maintaining acceptable Mooney viscosity and processability. The patent also controls other parameters like styrene content (5-50% by mass) and weight average molecular weight (50,000-2,000,000) to achieve the desired balance between performance and manufacturability.
3Reliability
If conventional rubber compositions are used to ensure good adhesion and processability, then adhesion and Mooney viscosity are maintained, but fuel economy and abrasion resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite system where hydrogenated copolymer (20-80 parts by mass per 100 parts rubber component) provides enhanced abrasion resistance and fuel economy, while general purpose rubber (80-20 parts by mass per 100 parts rubber component) maintains adhesion and processability. This composite formulation resolves the contradiction between durability/performance and reliability/processability.
4Use of energy by moving object
If diene rubber modified with organosilicon compound is used to improve fuel economy, then fuel economy is improved, but abrasion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hydrogenated copolymer with controlled degree of hydrogenation (30-100 mol%) and specific styrene content (5-50% by mass) to achieve fuel economy improvement without the abrasion resistance penalty. The hydrogenation modifies the polymer structure to reduce rolling resistance while maintaining or improving wear resistance, differing from the organosilicon modification approach.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a pneumatic tire that achieves a balanced improvement in fuel economy, abrasion resistance, and processability. A pneumatic tire formed from a rubber composition, the rubber composition containing a rubber component including a hydrogenated copolymer and a general purpose rubber, the hydrogenated copolymer containing a structural unit derived from an aromatic vinyl compound and a structural unit derived from a conjugated diene compound, the hydrogenated copolymer having a degree of hydrogenation of the conjugated diene portion of 30 to 100 mol %, a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 2,000,000, and a styrene content of 5% to 50% by mass, the general purpose rubber being at least one selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and polybutadiene rubber, the rubber component including, based on 100% by mass thereof, 10% to 80% by mass of the hydrogenated copolymer.