Rubber composition having good wet-traction properties and a low aromatic-oil content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752020-B2
Application number	US-64698106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2006
Priority date	Dec 28, 2005
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

This invention relates to rubber compositions having a low aromatic-oil content, or no aromatic oils at all. The rubber composition contains a diene rubber, one or more fillers, and a low molecular weight, functionalized polymer than has the ability to interact with the fillers and act and as a replacement to the aromatic oil. The rubber compositions so produced may be used in tread rubbers and have exhibited good snow/wet traction properties and low rolling resistance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tread rubber composition, comprising:
a. 100 phr of a rubber polymer or copolymer;
b. silica;
c. 10 to 30 phr of a functionalized polyisobutylene having a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 50,000; and
d. 0 to 30 phr of an aromatic oil;
wherein said functionalized polyisobutylene is a reaction product of an anhydride-functionalized polyisobutylene and an amine having the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) x -A, wherein x is an integer ranging from 1 to 18 and A is an amino group;
wherein the functionalized polyisobutylene contains functional groups at multiple points along the polymer backbone and is a liquid at 23° C.

2. The tread rubber composition of claim 1 , wherein the functional group A is a secondary amino group and x ranges from 1-6.

3. The tread rubber composition of claim 2 , wherein the amine having the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 )x-A is 3-(dimethylamino)propylamine.

4. The tread rubber composition of claim 3 , wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 5,000.

5. The tread rubber composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber polymer or copolymer is a styrene-butadiene rubber.

6. The tread rubber composition of claim 5 , wherein the functional group A is a secondary amino group and x ranges from 1-6.

7. The tread rubber composition of claim 6 , wherein the amine having the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) x -A is 3-(dimethylamino)propylamine.

8. The tread rubber composition of claim 7 , wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 5,000.

9. The tread rubber composition of claim 1 , wherein the tread rubber composition further comprises no more than 15 phr of aromatic oil.

10. The tread rubber composition of claim 9 , wherein the tread rubber composition comprises no aromatic oil.

11. A method of producing a tire having improved wet-traction properties, comprising:
a. preparing a tread rubber composition comprising mixing:
i. 100 phr of a rubber polymer or copolymer;
ii. silica;
iii. 10 to 30 phr of a functionalized polyisobutylene having a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 50,000; and
iv. 0 to 30 phr of an aromatic oil;

b. vulcanizing the tread rubber composition to produce a tire having improved wet-traction properties;

wherein said functionalized polyisobutylene is a reaction product of an anhydride-functionalized polyisobutylene and an amine having the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) x -A, wherein x is an integer ranging from 1 to 18 and A is an amino group;
wherein the functionalized polyisobutylene contains functional groups at multiple points along the polymer backbone and is a liquid at 23° C.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the functional group A is a secondary amino group and x ranges from 1-6.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the amine having the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) x -A is 3-(dimethylamino)propylamine.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 5,000.

15. The tread rubber composition of claim 11 , wherein the rubber polymer or copolymer is a styrene-butadiene rubber.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the functional group A is a secondary amino group and x ranges from 1-6.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the amine having the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) x -A is 3-(dimethylamino)propylamine.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 5,000.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tread rubber composition further comprises no more than 15 phr of aromatic oil.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the tread rubber composition comprises no aromatic oil.

Assignees

• Wang Xiaorong
• Hall James E
• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Wang Xiaorong
• Hall James E

Classifications

• C08K5/01

  Hydrocarbons {(C08K5/0091 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C08F8/32

  by reaction with amines · CPC title

• C08K5/0008

  Organic ingredients according to more than one of the "one dot" groups of C08K5/01 - C08K5/59 · CPC title

• C08F210/10

  Isobutene · CPC title

• B60C1/0016

  Compositions of the tread · CPC title