Tire Rubber Composition Using Vegetable Oil and Resin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tire tread rubber compositions that enhance traction and abrasion resistance while minimizing rolling resistance and treadwear performance are challenging to develop, as existing traction resins used in combination with silica and petroleum-based oils often trade off traction improvements for increased treadwear.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition comprising diene-based elastomers with functional groups reactive with hydroxyl groups on silica, combined with triglyceride vegetable oils like soybean oil and styrene-alpha-methylstyrene resin, which are processed without petroleum-based oils, to create a silica-reinforced tire tread that improves wet and dry traction while maintaining abrasion resistance and reducing rolling resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traction resins are used in tread rubber compositions to improve wet and dry traction, then traction is enhanced, but treadwear increases (abrasion resistance decreases)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing petroleum-based oils with triglyceride vegetable oils and optimizing resin content to 5-20 parts per 100 parts of rubber. This parameter modification allows achieving the desired traction improvement while maintaining acceptable treadwear performance through the specific chemical properties of vegetable oils and controlled resin levels
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite rubber composition combining diene-based rubber with specific ratios of triglyceride vegetable oil and traction resin. This composite approach integrates multiple materials with complementary properties to simultaneously achieve good traction and reduced treadwear compared to conventional single-system formulations
2Reliability
If silica is used as reinforcing filler in tread compositions to improve abrasion resistance, then treadwear performance improves, but rolling resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the chemical environment parameters by introducing triglyceride vegetable oils that interact with silica filler, changing the interfacial properties and reducing energy loss. This parameter change allows maintaining high silica content for abrasion resistance while reducing the negative impact on rolling resistance through the specific chemical interactions of vegetable oil with silica
3Ease of manufacture
If petroleum-based oils are used in rubber compositions to improve processing and flexibility, then ease of manufacture improves, but environmental sustainability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces persistent petroleum-based oils with biodegradable triglyceride vegetable oils that are derived from renewable resources. This substitution maintains the processing benefits of oil-based compounds while eliminating the long-term environmental persistence and pollution associated with petroleum products
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical origin parameter from non-renewable petroleum-based sources to renewable vegetable oil sources. This parameter change maintains the functional properties needed for rubber processing and flexibility while improving environmental sustainability through biodegradability and renewable resource utilization
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 combination of soybean oil and styrene-alpha-methylstyrene resin with diene-based elastomers in a silica-reinforced tire tread composition enhances traction and abrasion resistance, extending tire life while maintaining rolling resistance performance, as demonstrated by improved wet traction, abrasion resistance, and comparable rolling resistance compared to compositions using petroleum-based oils.
Implementation Method 1
diene based polymers in combination with traction resin(s) and vegetable oil... containing one or more functional groups reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on silica
Data Source
AI summary
A rubber composition and a tire comprising such a rubber composition is disclosed. The rubber composition comprises, based on parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr): (A) at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer, preferably including at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer that contains one or more functional groups reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on silica; (B) from 5 to 60 phr of at least one triglyceride vegetable oil; (C) from 1 to 30 phr of a resin comprising at least one of a coumarone-indene resin, an alkylated hydrocarbon resin, an aromatic petroleum resin, a dicyclopentadiene resin and a styrene-alphamethylstyrene resin; (D) from 30 to 140 phr of a reinforcing filler comprising: (1) silica, or (2) a combination of carbon black and silica; and (E) a silica coupling agent reactive with hydroxyl groups contained on the silica and another different moiety interactive with carbon-to-carbon double bonds of the conjugated diene-based elastomer; wherein the rubber composition is free of oil extended elastomer.