Method of producing a tire composition having improved silica reinforcement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9034962-B2
Application number	US-58762907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2005
Priority date	Apr 27, 2004
Publication date	May 19, 2015
Grant date	May 19, 2015

Abstract

A method for preparing a vulcanizable elastomeric composition where, in a first mixing step, ingredients including an elastomer having a silica-interactive functional group, a filler comprising silica, and optionally, a catalyst, are mixed, and the amount of polar compounds is limited.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for preparing a tire tread, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) mixing within a mixer, an elastomer having a silica-interactive functional group, silica, and a catalyst, to form an initial composition having a surface temperature of about 135 to 195° C., where said step of mixing takes place in the substantial absence of zinc oxide, sulfur, or cure agents; and where said initial composition comprises less than about 0.5 parts by weight of any of silica processing aids, silica coupling agents, and other polar compounds per hundred parts by weight rubber;
(b) discharging the initial composition from the mixer;
(c) allowing the initial composition discharged in step (b) to cool to a surface temperature below a surface temperature intended for a second mixing step;
(d) mixing, within a second mixing step, the initial composition cooled in step (c), optionally with a silica coupling agent, a silica processing aid and additional filler, to an intended temperature of 135 to 155° C. to form an intermediate composition;
(e) mixing the intermediate composition obtained in step (d), at a surface temperature lower than a vulcanization temperature, with a cure agent, zinc oxide and, optionally, a cure accelerator, to form a vulcanizable elastomer composition;
(f) extruding the vulcanizable elastomeric composition obtained in step (e) to form an extruded composition;
(g) constructing a green tire from the extruded composition; and
(h) curing the green tire.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the silica-interactive group is an alkoxysilyl, amine, hydroxyl, polyalkylene glycol, epoxy, carboxylic acid, or anhydride group.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the silica filler is added in increments.

4. The method of claim 1 , where said silica coupling agent is a bis(trialkoxysilylorgano)polysulfide or mercaptosilane.

5. The method of claim 1 , where mixing step (a) occurs in the substantial absence of zinc oxide, silica processing aids, silica coupling agents and other polar compounds.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the catalyst is a strong organic base.

7. The method of claim 6 , where the strong organic base is N,N-dimethyl-1-octadecylamine.

8. The method of claim 1 , where step (a) occurs at a surface temperature of from about 135° C. to about 165° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , where said step (a) comprises mixing, at a mixer temperature of at least 25° C., an trialkoxysilyl-functionalized SBR, a filler comprising silica, and a catalyst comprising a strong organic base, to form an initial composition.

Assignees

• Lin Chenchy Jeffrey
• Araki Shunji
• Zhou Haiying
• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Lin Chenchy Jeffrey
• Araki Shunji
• Zhou Haiying

Classifications

• C08J3/203 Primary

  Solid polymers with solid and/or liquid additives · CPC title

• C08K5/17

  Amines; Quaternary ammonium compounds · CPC title

• C08L21/00

  Compositions of unspecified rubbers · CPC title

• C08K3/36

  Silica · CPC title

• C08J2321/00

  Characterised by the use of unspecified rubbers · CPC title