Tire Tread Plasticizer Composition for Wet Braking Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The incorporation of sustainable rubber compositions in tire treads, such as those using soybean oil instead of petroleum-based oils, compromises wet braking performance while improving low temperature winter performance.
Innovation Solution
A plasticizer system is developed that partially or fully replaces petroleum-based rubber plasticizing oils with vegetable triglyceride oils and includes a hydrocarbon plasticizing resin, such as polyterpene, to maintain or improve tire performance characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If petroleum-based rubber processing oil is replaced with vegetable triglyceride oil, then sustainability is improved, but tread performance balance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite plasticizer system combining vegetable triglyceride oil and hydrocarbon resin. This composite material approach maintains sustainability benefits from the vegetable oil while the hydrocarbon resin component restores the balanced tread performance characteristics that would otherwise be compromised by using vegetable oil alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrocarbon resin acts as an intermediary substance that bridges the performance gap between vegetable oil and conventional petroleum-based oils. It mediates the performance balance by providing the necessary viscosity and processing characteristics that pure vegetable oil lacks, while maintaining the sustainable foundation of the plasticizer system.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a plasticizer system for use in a tread rubber composition. The plasticizer system is partially derived from or devoid of petroleum-based oils and resins. The pneumatic tire has a tread of a rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr): from about 10 to about 60 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) extended with an oil not derived from petroleum; and a plasticizer system comprised of (1) from about 4 to about 8 phr of a plasticizing oil not derived from petroleum, and (2) from about 10 to about 20 phr of a hydrocarbon plasticizing resin selected from styrene/α-methyl styrene resin and polyterpene plasticizing resin.