Tire Tread Lateral Face Butyl Rubber Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current snow tires face challenges in maintaining grip on wet and icy surfaces, particularly at low temperatures, where existing tread compositions do not adequately enhance traction and braking performance.
Innovation Solution
A tire tread composition featuring a second rubber layer based on more than 50 phr of butyl rubber, over 60 phr of inorganic filler, and a hydrocarbon resin with a glass transition temperature above 20°C, applied to the lateral faces of tread pattern elements, which improves grip on both low and high wet temperature conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional tread composition is used for snow tires, then the tire provides adequate grip on snow-covered roads, but the grip performance on wet ground at low temperature deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a dual-layer rubber composition to the tread pattern elements, where the first rubber composition provides base properties and the second rubber composition (with high Tg plasticizer) specifically enhances low-temperature wet grip. This local differentiation allows the tire to optimize performance for specific conditions without compromising overall versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the rubber composition by incorporating a plasticizer with high glass transition temperature (>20°C) in the second rubber composition. This parameter change enables the material to maintain flexibility and grip at low temperatures while preserving snow performance through the layered application approach.
2Strength
If a rigid covering layer with high glass transition temperature is applied to improve snow grip, then edge corner stiffness increases for better snow traction, but flexibility on wet ground at low temperature deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The second rubber composition with high Tg plasticizer is applied locally to the lateral faces and edge corners where stiffness is needed for snow grip, while the base rubber composition maintains flexibility for wet ground contact. This spatial differentiation resolves the contradiction between stiffness and flexibility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite rubber system combining two different rubber compositions with distinct properties. The first composition provides base flexibility and the second composition (with high Tg plasticizer) provides localized stiffness, creating a composite material system that exhibits both rigid and flexible characteristics simultaneously in different regions.
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 described composition significantly enhances traction and braking performance on wet surfaces at various temperatures, providing improved grip and stiffness at low temperatures while maintaining performance on icy grounds.
Implementation Method 1
a plasticizing agent comprising more than 25 phr of a hydrocarbon resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg DSC) of more than 20°C
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A tire having improved grip on low and high wet temperature conditions is provided, wherein each tread pattern element (1) of a tread of the tire comprises a first rubber composition (FC) at least partially covered on at least one lateral face (13, 14, 15, 16) with a layer of a second rubber composition (SC) which is based on more than 50 phr and up to 100 phr of a butyl rubber, no the diene elastomer or less than 50 phr of another diene elastomer which is different from the butyl rubber, a reinforcing filler comprising more than 60 phr of a reinforcing inorganic filler, and a plasticizing agent comprising more than 25 phr of a hydrocarbon resin having a glass transition temperature of more than 20℃, and comprising no liquid plasticizer or comprising at most 15 phr of a liquid plasticizer.