Vegetable Oil Extended SSBR for Tire Traction

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by incorporating vegetable oil extended high Tg SSBR with specific Tg range (-20°C to +10°C), bound styrene content (25-50%), and vinyl 1,2-content (10-80%). It also optimizes the silica content (50-100 phr) and silica coupler (2-10 phr) to achieve the right balance between traction and flexibility. These parameter adjustments allow the rubber composition to maintain high wet traction while improving low-temperature flexibility.

The patent creates a composite rubber composition by combining multiple materials: vegetable oil extended high Tg SSBR, precipitated silica, silica coupler, and optionally carbon black. This composite approach allows the synergistic interaction between components to achieve both high traction performance and improved low-temperature flexibility that cannot be obtained with single materials alone.

The patent replaces petroleum-based processing oil with vegetable oil (such as soybean oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil) as an environmentally friendly alternative. This substitution maintains the extending function while reducing environmental harm, as vegetable oils are renewable and biodegradable resources.

The patent converts the potential disadvantage of using vegetable oil (higher cost or different processing characteristics) into a benefit by demonstrating that vegetable oil extension provides both environmental sustainability and effective rubber compounding performance, thereby turning an alternative into a superior solution.