Tire Rubber Composition Balancing Breaking Resistance and Operability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rubber compositions used in tires and other rubber articles face challenges in achieving both high breaking resistance and operability, with multicomponent copolymers providing improved durability but potentially increasing viscosity, which hinders operability.

Innovation Solution

A rubber composition incorporating a multicomponent copolymer with a conjugated diene unit, non-conjugated olefin unit, and aromatic vinyl unit, combined with ethylene-α olefin or ethylene-aromatic vinyl copolymers of specific molecular weights and content ratios, to enhance breaking resistance while maintaining high operability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a multicomponent copolymer containing conjugated diene unit, non-conjugated olefin unit, and aromatic vinyl unit is used in rubber composition, then breaking resistance is improved, but viscosity increases and operability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebreaking resistanceVSAvoidoperability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the molecular weight parameter of the ethylene-α olefin copolymer and ethylene-aromatic vinyl copolymer to a specific range (number-average molecular weight of 500 to 30,000) to reduce viscosity and improve operability while maintaining the breaking resistance provided by the multicomponent copolymer

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If ethylene-α olefin copolymer or ethylene-aromatic vinyl copolymer with number-average molecular weight of 500 to 30,000 is added to rubber composition, then unvulcanized viscosity is reduced and operability is improved, but breaking resistance may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveoperabilityVSAvoidbreaking resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite rubber composition by combining the multicomponent copolymer (for breaking resistance) with ethylene-α olefin copolymer or ethylene-aromatic vinyl copolymer of specific molecular weight (for viscosity control), achieving a balance between strength and operability through material composition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS11920022B2Rubber composition and tire
Publication Date: 2024.03.05 BRIDGESTONE CORP

AI summary

Provided is a rubber composition that can achieve excellent breaking resistance while having high operability. A rubber composition comprises: a rubber component containing a multicomponent copolymer that contains a conjugated diene unit, a non-conjugated olefin unit, and an aromatic vinyl unit; and at least one selected from an ethylene-α olefin copolymer and an ethylene-aromatic vinyl copolymer each having a number-average molecular weight of 500 to 30,000.