Tire Tread Composition Using Vegetable-Oil-Extended High Tg SSBR
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tire tread rubber compositions struggle to balance traction and durability, particularly in wet conditions, due to the limitations of petroleum-based oil extensions for high Tg SSBR.
Innovation Solution
The use of vegetable triglyceride oil to extend high Tg styrene/butadiene elastomer (SSBR) before recovery from polymerization cement, creating a lower Tg rubber composition that enhances traction and reduces stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high Tg SSBR is used to promote wet traction, then traction is improved, but the rubber composition becomes too stiff at lower temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the Tg parameter of the rubber composition by extending high Tg SSBR with vegetable oil, which has a lower Tg than the SSBR. This creates a blended elastomer with an intermediate Tg that provides both wet traction and low-temperature flexibility. The parameter change is achieved through controlled blending during polymerization to achieve optimal Tg values for different service conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite elastomer system by extending high Tg SSBR with vegetable oil (such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil). This composite material combines the high-traction properties of SSBR with the low-temperature flexibility of vegetable oil, achieving a synergistic effect that resolves the contradiction between traction and low-temperature performance.
2Reliability
If vegetable oil is used to extend high Tg SSBR before recovery, then Tg is reduced and traction is improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by extending the high Tg SSBR with vegetable oil during the polymerization process itself, before the elastomer is recovered from the polymerization cement. This preliminary blending simplifies subsequent processing because the oil-extended elastomer is already in its final form, eliminating the need for separate oil addition steps later in compounding or mixing operations.
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
This approach improves wet traction and winter performance of tire tread rubber while maintaining durability, as evidenced by reduced storage modulus and increased tan delta values.
Implementation Method 1
it is also desired to reduce the Tg of the rubber composition to promote the tread traction at lower temperatures by thereby reducing its stiffness as may be evidenced by a reduction of its storage modulus (E′)
Implementation Method 2
Reinforcing filler for such rubber composition is desired to be comprised of a combination of rubber reinforcing carbon black and precipitated silica (amorphous synthetic precipitated silica) composed primarily of precipitated silica
Implementation Method 3
The reinforcing filler is to contain silica coupler (silica coupling agent) for precipitated silica
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a tire with high performance tread of rubber composition for promoting tread durability and traction. For such purpose, a tread rubber composition is provided which contains a high Tg solvent solution polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene elastomer (SSBR) together with precipitated silica reinforcement and traction resin. The invention includes extension of the uncured high Tg SSBR by triglyceride vegetable oil instead of petroleum based oil.