Rubber compositions containing whey protein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227480-B2
Application number	US-201514736709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein are rubber compositions comprising at least one rubber, titanium oxide filler and a whey protein component, and related methods as well as tire components containing the rubber compositions disclosed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for modifying the cross-linking of a titanium oxide filler-containing rubber composition, the method comprising
mixing ingredients comprising
a whey protein powder component in an amount sufficient to provide about 0.1 to about 10 phr of whey protein,
at least one rubber,
about 5 to about 200 phr of titanium oxide filler,
an amount of reinforcing silica filler of no more than 5 phr, and
a cure package,
wherein the rubber composition exhibits decreased cross-linking as measured by M H -M L of at least 10% as compared to a comparative rubber composition of the same ingredients except for lacking any whey protein and
wherein the mixing includes at least one non-productive master-batch stage conducted at a temperature of about 130 to about 200° C. during which the at least one rubber is added and the whey protein powder component is added as a powder.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder component is present in an amount sufficient to provide about 0.5 to about 5 phr of whey protein.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ingredients further comprise at least one filler selected from: calcium carbonate, clay, talc, mica, wollastonite, diatomite, and barite.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ingredients are free of carbon black filler.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a majority of the protein chains in the whey protein have a molecular weight of greater than about 10 kDaltons.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a majority by weight of the at least one rubber comprises at least one of: natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, and styrene-butadiene rubber.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the titanium oxide filler comprises titanium dioxide.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder component comprises acid whey.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder component comprises whey protein concentrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whey protein powder component comprises whey protein isolate.

11. A method for preparing a tire rubber composition, the method comprising
mixing ingredients comprising
a whey protein powder component in an amount sufficient to provide 0.1 to 10 phr of whey protein,
at least one rubber comprising a conjugated diene monomer-containing polymer or copolymer,
5 to 200 phr of titanium oxide filler,
an amount of reinforcing silica filler of no more than 5 phr, and
a cure package,
wherein the mixing includes at least one non-productive master-batch stage conducted at a temperature of about 130 to about 200° C. during which the at least one rubber is added and the whey protein powder component is added as a powder.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein mixing the ingredients further comprises a final productive mixing stage conducted at a temperature between 40 and 120° C.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein mixing the ingredients comprises kneading with a mixer or with a milled roll.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the whey protein powder component is present in an amount sufficient to provide about 0.5 to about 5 phr of whey protein.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ingredients further comprise at least one filler selected from: calcium carbonate, clay, talc, mica, wollastonite, diatomite, and barite.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ingredients are free of carbon black filler.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein a majority of the protein chains in the whey protein have a molecular weight of greater than about 10 kDaltons.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least a majority by weight of the at least one rubber comprises at least one of: natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, and styrene-butadiene rubber.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the titanium oxide filler comprises titanium dioxide.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the whey protein powder component comprises acid whey.

21. The method of claim 11 , wherein the whey protein powder component comprises whey protein concentrate.

22. The method of claim 11 , wherein the whey protein powder component comprises whey protein isolate.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Llc
• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Inc

Inventors

• Galizio Benjamin C
• Randall Amy M
• Clark Melissa

Classifications

• C08L9/00 Primary

  Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C08K2003/2241

  Titanium dioxide · CPC title

• C08L21/00

  Compositions of unspecified rubbers · CPC title

• C08K3/22

  of metals · CPC title

• C08L89/00

  Compositions of proteins; Compositions of derivatives thereof (foodstuff preparations A23J3/00) · CPC title