Tire Tread Composition Reducing Rolling Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tire treads face challenges in reducing rolling resistance while maintaining grip and wear resistance, particularly on wet surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A tire tread composition comprising a combination of diene elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers, specifically a block copolymer with hydrogenated butadiene-styrene random copolymer and styrenic blocks, optimized in molecular weight and glass transition temperature, along with a reinforcing filler and minimal plasticizer content, to achieve reduced rolling resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional diene elastomer treads are used, then grip and wear resistance are maintained, but rolling resistance cannot be sufficiently reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining diene elastomer (35-99 phr) with thermoplastic elastomer (1-65 phr) in a tread composition. This composite approach allows the tread to simultaneously achieve reduced rolling resistance from the thermoplastic component and maintained grip/wear resistance from the diene elastomer component, resolving the technical contradiction between energy loss and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by optimizing the molecular weight of the thermoplastic elastomer (30,000-500,000 g/mol) and controlling the glass transition temperature of the elastomer blocks (lower than 25°C). These parameter optimizations enable the tread to reduce rolling resistance while maintaining adequate grip and wear resistance, addressing the contradiction between energy efficiency and performance reliability.
2Loss of energy
If thermoplastic elastomer is added to reduce rolling resistance, then energy loss decreases, but the complexity of tread composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent manages composition complexity through parameter optimization by specifying precise ranges for thermoplastic elastomer content (1-65 phr) and molecular weight (30,000-500,000 g/mol). These controlled parameters allow the complex multi-component tread to achieve reduced rolling resistance while maintaining manufacturability and performance consistency, balancing energy efficiency with composition complexity.
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 solution significantly reduces rolling resistance while maintaining or improving grip and wear resistance, allowing for a balanced performance in various conditions.
Implementation Method 1
said thermoplastic elastomer being a block copolymer comprising at least one elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block
Implementation Method 2
the elastomer block(s) of the block copolymer are chosen from elastomers having a glass transition temperature lower than 25°C
Implementation Method 3
at least one elastomer block of optionally hydrogenated butadiene-styrene random copolymer type
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns a tyre comprising a tread, a crown with a crown reinforcement, two sidewalls, two beads, a carcass reinforcement anchored to the two beads and extending from one sidewall to the other, characterised in that the tread comprises a composition made from at least one diene elastomer, at a level of between 35 and 99 phr (parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer), a thermoplastic elastomer, at a level of between 1 and 65 phr, said thermoplastic elastomer being a block copolymer comprising at least one optionally hydrogenated butadiene-styrene random copolymer elastomer block and at least one styrene thermoplastic block.