Residual Void Volume Measurement for Particulate Fillers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the structure of rubber fillers like carbon black and silica are inadequate as they do not accurately measure the residual void volume after decompression, which is crucial for understanding material properties and correlating with oil absorption measurements.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that measure the compression and decompression curves of powder samples to determine the residual void volume by fitting a mathematical function to the decompression curve, allowing for the calculation of stable structure and energy required to break filler networks, thus correlating with established oil absorption standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional oil absorption methods are used to determine structure, then the measurement can be performed with simple equipment, but the measurement is not clean and poorly correlated to end product properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional oil absorption chemical/physical method with a mechanical compression-decompression system. The apparatus uses a compression device with a piston and cylinder to mechanically compress and decompress the powder sample, measuring volume changes directly. This mechanical approach eliminates the need for oil absorption tests and provides cleaner, more accurate measurements correlated to end product properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pressure and volume as intermediary parameters to measure structure. Instead of directly measuring oil absorption, the system uses pressure applied during compression and volume changes during compression-decompression cycles as intermediaries to infer structural properties. This allows for more accurate measurement while maintaining equipment simplicity through standard pressure-volume measurement capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If compression is applied to break structure for oil absorption measurement, then the structure is modified, but the residual void volume after decompression cannot be accurately measured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous compression-decompression cycling to continuously measure volume changes. The system performs multiple compression-decompression cycles and continuously records volume data, allowing accurate determination of residual void volume after decompression. This continuous measurement approach ensures reliability by capturing the complete structural modification process and its aftermath.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from volume measurements during compression and decompression to accurately determine residual void volume. The system measures volume at various pressure points and uses this feedback data to calculate the residual void volume after decompression. This feedback mechanism ensures accurate and reliable structure determination by directly measuring the actual volume changes occurring during the process.
3Measurement precision
If high pressure compression is applied to determine void volume, then the structure is significantly altered, but the measurement does not reflect the stable structure in the final product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic compression-decompression cycles to measure structure. By cycling between compression and decompression states multiple times, the system allows the filler network to stabilize between cycles. This periodic action separates the transient structural changes during compression from the stable residual structure, enabling accurate measurement of the stable structure that exists in the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies compression to a sufficient degree to modify the structure, then uses decompression to partially restore it, measuring the residual effect. This partial action approach ensures that enough compression is applied to achieve meaningful structural modification for measurement, while the decompression phase allows the system to return close to its original state, reflecting the stable structure in the final product.
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 provides an accurate and physically equivalent measure of material structure, enabling the selection of fillers based on their properties and predicting material characteristics in rubber compounds, such as softening effects, by determining the residual void volume and energy required during compression-decompression cycles.
Implementation Method 1
The method and apparatus measures both the compression and decompression of samples of the powder materials in a controlled way to understand the volume and pressure curves
Implementation Method 2
determining the residual void volume by fitting a mathematical function to the decompression curve
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for and method of measuring the compressed volume of a particulate material comprising a chamber for containing a particulate material which will be evaluated; a removable, fixed means at one end of said chamber to enclose said chamber and for containing said particulate material within said chamber; a compression means at the other end of said chamber which further encloses and contains said particulate material within said chamber and which provides a linear forcre on said particulate material so that one end of said particulate material is linearly movable and said compression means will compress the particulate material in said chamber; means to move said moveable piston away from a particulate material placed inside said chamber to decompress the particulate material in said chamber; means for measuring the distance between said movable piston and said fixed means so to measure the thickness of said compressed particulate material; and measuring means on the moveable piston of said chamber for measuring the applied force of said piston to said particulate material when said piston is compressing said particulate material.