Tread Rubber Composition Balancing Wet Grip and Heat Buildup
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current tire technologies do not adequately address the need for improved wet grip performance during high-speed driving, despite advancements in highway infrastructure and vehicle performance.
Innovation Solution
A tire design featuring a tread portion with a rubber composition containing a polymer with an ethylene unit and a resin component with a cyclic structure, where the acetone-extractable content percentage is greater than or equal to 0.80 times the tread portion thickness, enhancing heat generation and adhesion on the tread surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silica is incorporated into tread rubber or low softening point resins are increased, then wet grip performance is improved, but heat generation increases and high-speed driving performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the tread rubber by incorporating specific polymers containing ethylene units (such as ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer) and cyclic resin components (such as coumarone-indene resin). This compositional parameter change allows the rubber to maintain lower temperature during high-speed driving while preserving wet grip performance, directly resolving the contradiction between wet grip improvement and heat generation reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite rubber composition by combining multiple polymer components (natural rubber, polybutadiene, ethylene-containing polymers) with specific resin components (coumarone-indene resin, petroleum resin). This composite material approach synergistically improves wet grip performance while controlling heat generation, as the different components work together to achieve both objectives simultaneously
2Reliability
If more resin components are added to improve adhesion, then wet grip is enhanced, but the complexity of rubber composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the quantitative parameters of resin components by specifying precise proportion ranges (coumarone-indene resin: 1-10 parts by mass, petroleum resin: 1-20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of total rubber). This parameter optimization achieves effective wet grip performance while avoiding excessive composition complexity, as the controlled proportions ensure proper balance between adhesion and compositional simplicity
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 design significantly improves wet grip performance during high-speed driving by optimizing the migration and adhesion of components within the tread, leading to better traction and safety.
Implementation Method 1
enhancing heat generation and adhesion on the tread surface
Implementation Method 2
enhancing heat generation and adhesion on the tread surface
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a tire having excellent wet grip performance during high-speed driving. The present invention relates to a tire which includes a tread portion including a rubber composition, the rubber composition containing a polymer containing an ethylene unit and a resin component containing a cyclic structure, the tire satisfying the following relationship (1): A/T ≥ 0.80, wherein A represents the acetone-extractable content (%) of the rubber composition, and T represents the thickness (mm) of the tread portion measured on the equator in a cross section taken in the radial direction of the tire.