Pneumatic Tire Tread Resin Composition for Grip Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pneumatic tire treads fail to achieve a balanced improvement in wet grip performance, dry grip performance, and durability, with existing methods either enhancing one aspect at the expense of others, such as increasing rolling resistance or compromising fuel economy.
Innovation Solution
A rubber composition for tire treads comprising 90% or more diene rubber, hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin with 5% to 100% degree of hydrogenation and hydroxyl value of 20 mg KOH/g or less, and an inorganic filler like aluminum hydroxide with a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of 10 to 120 m2/g, which enhances both wet and dry grip while maintaining durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resins are incorporated to improve grip performance, then wet grip and dry grip performance are improved, but rolling resistance increases and fuel economy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the degree of hydrogenation of the terpene aromatic resin (5-100%) and its hydroxyl value (20 mg KOH/g or less), along with optimizing the ratio of resin to diene rubber (1-50 parts by mass). This systematic parameter optimization enables the resin to improve grip performance while minimizing the increase in rolling resistance, thereby resolving the contradiction between grip enhancement and energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin with diene rubber (90% or more of the rubber component) and specific inorganic fillers. This composite formulation creates a synergistic effect where the resin improves grip performance without proportionally increasing rolling resistance, thus balancing grip enhancement with fuel economy considerations.
2Reliability
If grip resins are used to increase tan δ at 20° C. for dry grip improvement, then dry grip performance is improved, but tan δ at 30-70° C. increases leading to higher rolling resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the degree of hydrogenation (5-100%) and hydroxyl value (20 mg KOH/g or less) of the terpene aromatic resin. These parameter controls allow the resin to provide adequate tan δ at 20° C. for dry grip while limiting the increase in tan δ at 30-70° C., thus improving dry grip without excessively increasing rolling resistance.
3Reliability
If known resins like Koresin or coumarone-indene resins are used to improve grip, then grip performance is improved, but rolling resistance greatly increases making them unsuitable for fuel economy applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin with controlled degree of hydrogenation (5-100%) and hydroxyl value (20 mg KOH/g or less). This differs from known resins like Koresin or coumarone-indene resins, and the parameter control enables grip improvement with significantly lower increase in rolling resistance, making it suitable for fuel economy applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin with diene rubber and specific inorganic fillers having controlled surface areas. This composite approach creates a formulation that achieves grip performance comparable to or better than known resins while dramatically reducing the rolling resistance penalty, thus enabling fuel economy applications.
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 rubber composition significantly improves both wet and dry grip performance and durability, maintaining a good balance between them, with the hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin promoting crosslinking and the inorganic filler enhancing road contact and vibration, leading to improved traction and resistance.
Implementation Method 1
the hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin being present in an amount of 1 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber
Implementation Method 2
the inorganic filler enhancing road contact and vibration, leading to improved traction and resistance
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a pneumatic tire including a tread formed from a rubber composition highly improving wet-grip performance, dry-grip performance, and durability while maintaining a good balance therebetween. A pneumatic tire including a tread formed from a rubber composition, the composition containing 90% by mass or more of a diene rubber per 100% by mass of the rubber component, the composition further containing a hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin obtained by hydrogenation of double bonds of a terpene aromatic resin, the hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin having a degree of hydrogenation of double bonds of 5-100% and a hydroxyl value of 20 mg KOH/g or less, the hydrogenated terpene aromatic resin being present in an amount of 1-50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber, the composition further containing specific inorganic filler in an amount of 1-70 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber.