Tire Tread Segmentation for Ice Grip and Rust Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Winter tires with studless treads face challenges in maintaining grip on melting ice without causing rust in crown reinforcements, as the rubber compositions used for improved grip can be abrasive and allow water and de-icing agents to penetrate, leading to rust.
Innovation Solution
A tire tread design featuring a surfacic portion and an internal portion with specific rubber compositions, including diene elastomers, reinforcing fillers, and microparticles, where the microparticles' content in the surfacic portion is higher than in the internal portion, providing improved grip on ice while minimizing rust risk by controlling the distribution of water and de-icing agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tread is made with a rubber composition containing microparticles to improve grip on melting ice, then the grip on ice is improved, but the crown reinforcement is more prone to rust
Solution Approach 1:
The tread is divided into two distinct rubber compositions: a first rubber composition containing microparticles (2-40 phr) for ice grip in the contact surface, and a second rubber composition with fewer microparticles (0.1-2 phr) for protecting the crown reinforcement from rust. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally without compromise
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tread are assigned different microparticle concentrations according to their functional requirements: the ice-contact surface receives high microparticle content for claw-like grip on melting ice, while the region adjacent to the crown reinforcement receives low microparticle content to minimize abrasivity and prevent water/de-icing agent penetration that causes rust
2Reliability
If the tread uses an abrasive rubber composition to enhance grip on ice, then the grip on ice is improved, but the abrasivity on road surface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The abrasive microparticle-containing rubber composition is segmented to occupy only the necessary ice-contact portion of the tread, while non-abrasive rubber compositions are used in other regions. This reduces overall road surface abrasivity while preserving ice grip where needed
Solution Approach 2:
Abrasivity is localized only to the extent necessary for ice grip: microparticles are concentrated in the first rubber composition at the ice-contact surface where grip is needed, while the second rubber composition has minimal microparticles, creating a localized quality distribution that balances grip and environmental protection
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 tire tread design enhances grip on melting ice while significantly reducing the risk of crown reinforcement rust, maintaining performance and durability on both icy and dry surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
These microparticles, which protrude at the surface of the tread, perform a claw function well known without a disadvantage of being abrasive action on the surfacing of the ground surface itself
Implementation Method 2
subsequently, after gradual expulsion from the rubber matrix, they release microcavities which act as storage volume and as channel for draining the film of water at the surface of the ice
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A tire having a tread, said tread comprising at least two radially superposed portions (8, 9) comprising: - a surfacic portion (8) intended to come into contact with ground during rolling at least when the tread is new and in the cured state, the surfacic portion (8) being made of a rubber composition A; - an internal portion (9) radically inner located to the surfacic portion (8), the internal portion (9) being made of a rubber composition B; wherein each of the rubber compositions A and B comprises at least a diene elastomer, between 50 and 150 phr of a reinforcing filler, between 20 and 160 phr of a plasticizer, and microparticles; wherein a content of the microparticles in the rubber composition A is between 2 and 40 phr, said content CA being higher than a content of the microparticles in the rubber composition B.