Bio-Based Materials for Tire Production

Process to improve dispersion of nanocellulose in polymers like elastomers and plastics. The process involves partitioning the nanocellulose during drying to prevent agglomeration. This is done by combining the nanocellulose dispersion with a partitioning agent like carbon black, elastomer latex, or wax before drying. The partitioning agent remains intact and spaced between the nanocellulose particles after drying to prevent bonding and agglomeration. This results in a nanocellulose dispersion composition with improved dispersibility in polymers.

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In vitro production of rubber polymer using recombinant enzymes derived from rubber-producing plants. The rubber polymer is synthesized by combining specific enzymes, like cis-prenyl transferase and binding protein, with initiators and substrates. The enzymes are isolated from plants like Hevea brasiliensis, and can be stabilized and supported by lipids and other agents. The enzyme complexes mimic the rubber synthesis process in plant cells.

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Enhancing lignin degradation and converting lignin into valuable products using enzymes, chemicals, bacteria, and redox agents. The methods involve treating lignin and biorefinery waste with enzymes like laccase and peroxidase, chemical mediators like HBT, bacteria, and redox agents to make lignin more processible for bioconversion into products like PHA, lipids, asphalt binders, and carbon fibers. It also involves expressing laccase in Gram positive bacteria to increase lignin degradation.

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Process to make composite materials for elastomeric products like tires with improved sustainability and adhesion. The process involves activating textile reinforcement yarns with a bath containing polyisocyanates, waxes, and surfactants before immersing them in the rubber mixture. This coating improves adhesion between the yarns and surrounding rubber. The coated yarns are then used to create the composite material. The activation bath can be made from recycled materials like post-consumer PET bottles. The composite with recycled yarns provides similar performance to conventional composites but with lower environmental impact. The vulcanized composite material and resulting elastomeric products, like tires, have improved sustainability and adhesion compared to conventional composites.

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Method to produce carbon black from alternative feedstocks that allows using low-yielding feedstocks like ethylene, biomass, or landfill gas in electrically-heated carbon black processes. The method involves combining a low-yielding carbon black feedstock with a first carbon black feedstock in an electrically-heated gas stream to form carbon black. It allows using significant amounts of low-yielding feedstocks like ethylene to create carbon black with comparable properties to traditional feedstocks. The electric heating provides high pyrolysis temperatures to overcome low-yield issues.

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Improved compositions and methods for cross-linking recombinant resilin proteins to make biodegradable elastomers with tunable properties for applications like automotive parts, shoes, and gaskets. The compositions are made by exposing recombinant resilin to ammonium persulfate and heat to cross-link without enzymes or photoinitiators. The cross-linked resilin can be further processed by solvent exchange to replace the aqueous cross-linking medium with nonaqueous solvents like glycerol, propylene glycol, or DMSO to tune properties like elastic modulus, hardness, and fatigue resistance. This allows tuning cross-linked resilin compositions for specific applications without degradation from impurities.

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Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch for replacing carbon black in rubber. The masterbatch is prepared by mixing modified lignin with rubber. The lignin is modified by esterification with acetic acid and oleic acid to improve compatibility with non-polar rubbers. The modified lignin has reduced hydroxyl group content compared to unmodified lignin. The esterification reaction provides hydrophobic groups to decrease lignin polarity. This improves lignin dispersibility in the rubber matrix.

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Polysaccharide-elastomer masterbatch for making reinforced rubber compositions with reduced water content. The masterbatch is made by mixing a polysaccharide dispersion with an elastomer latex and then coagulating and drying the mixture. This avoids adding water during masterbatch production, allowing lower water content in the final rubber compound. The polysaccharide provides reinforcement and reduces rolling resistance compared to carbon black. The masterbatch can be used in applications like tires, belts, footwear, coatings, etc.

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Rubber composition containing a rubber component and cellulose-based fillers that exhibits favorable strength. The composition includes a rubber component, cellulose fillers, and a cross-linkable compound with thiosulfuric acid and an amino group. Kneading the components improves strength. The thiosulfuric acid group facilitates crosslinking during vulcanization, and the amino group enhances filler interaction. This provides improved rubber properties compared to using cellulose fillers alone.

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Biodegradable rubber composition that aims to improve biodegradability compared to conventional rubber. The composition replaces some of the traditional rubber components with biodegradable materials like polyalkylene succinate adipate (PASA) resin. Crosslinking agents like peroxides are used to join the biodegradable materials together. The resulting biodegradable rubber has enhanced biodegradation efficiency compared to conventional rubber.

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A pneumatic tire containing a majority of sustainable content. The tire has over 85% of its components made from sustainable materials like bio-based carbon black, recycled steel, renewable rubber, and biodegradable additives. This provides a tire with significantly higher renewable content compared to conventional tires. The sustainable tire maintains or exceeds performance of traditional tires. The replacement of non-renewable materials with sustainable ones reduces environmental impact while meeting or improving tire performance.

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Eco-friendly tire tread rubber composition with improved dispersibility that replaces some of the silica with a hydrophobic rice bran silica prepared by mixing rice bran silica with a liquid unsaturated fatty acid. This improves dispersion of the filler in the rubber matrix compared to using rice bran silica alone. The hydrophobic rice bran silica provides environmental benefits from rice bran waste while maintaining dispersion and processing properties.

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Bio-based low-temperature resistant elastomer for tires that can be used in winter conditions without crystallization at low temperatures. The elastomer is made by coordination chain transfer polymerization of bio-based monomers like myrcene and isoprene. The copolymer has a high cis-1,4 structure (90-96%) and low glass transition temperature (-70 to -60°C) due to the mushroom-shaped side groups from the myrcene monomer. This prevents crystallization at low temperatures for better low-temp performance compared to traditional rubber. The bio-based elastomer can be used in winter tire compounds to reduce fossil resource use in tires.

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Rubber composition that can be used for different applications in conjunction with tires components, preferably tires treads or tire tread components components, and which has a majority weight percent of renewable content. The composition includes a blend of at least two rubber elastomers comprising or consisting of: greater than 50 phr of at least one mass balanced polymer; at least one bio-derived plasticizer; and a bio-derived filler system comprising silica and carbon black.

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All-steel/semi-steel radial tire sidewall rubber composition that uses bio-based, renewable oil instead of petroleum-based oil to reduce reliance on fossil resources and lower environmental pollution. The composition contains natural rubber, butadiene rubber, carbon black, bio-based oil, stearic acid, zinc oxide, microcrystalline wax, antioxidants, oil-extended sulfur, and accelerator. The bio-based oil is extracted and synthesized from plants and has lower polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compared to petroleum oil. This reduces proton levels in the tire sidewalls and meets sustainable development requirements.

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Rubber composition for tires containing an oligomeric product made from pyrolysis oil as a replacement for conventional petroleum-based resins. The oligomeric product is prepared by polymerizing the dienes and olefins in the pyrolysis oil using a Friedel-Crafts catalyst. It has a low molecular weight, low viscosity, and aromatic content. The oligomeric product provides rubber properties like glass transition temperature below -20°C and compatibility with elastomers like natural and synthetic rubbers. The pyrolysis oil-derived resin can replace petroleum resins in rubber compositions to recycle waste plastics and valorize the olefins and dienes in pyrolysis oil.

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Tire tread composition containing modified natural oil as a processing aid. The modified natural oil is made by reacting epoxidized natural oil with an organic acid or anhydride. It can replace petroleum-based process oils in tire rubber compounds. The modified natural oil provides similar processing benefits without the issues of PAH contamination and vegetable oil compatibility. The modified natural oil content is 5-40 parts per 100 parts of rubber. The modified natural oil improves tire properties like dispersibility of silica, low temperature flexibility, and wear resistance compared to conventional process oils.

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Functionalized bio-based elastomer for tires with low rolling resistance made by copolymerizing fumarate and conjugated diene monomers. The functionalization involves adding a third monomer that can react with white carbon black filler. The functionalized copolymer is prepared by emulsion polymerization in a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting latex is demulsified and dried to obtain the functionalized fumarate/conjugated diene copolymer raw rubber. This bio-based elastomer can be used in tire tread compounds to provide low rolling resistance properties and enable "green tire" treads.

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Bio-based compound modified liquid reclaimed rubber for tire applications that replaces traditional plasticizers, tackifying resins, and softeners. The modified rubber is prepared by high-temperature reaction of reclaimed rubber, lignin derivatives, and a peptizing agent. This bio-based rubber can be used to partially or fully replace conventional additives in tire rubber compositions to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact compared to petroleum-based additives.

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Tire tread rubber composition with high biobased content and reduced carbon footprint. The tread rubber is made by mixing specific amounts of raw rubber, reinforcing filler, activator, plasticizer, anti-aging agent, accelerator, and vulcanizing agent. The composition aims to replace fossil-based rubber with biobased rubber, like itaconate rubber, to reduce dependence on petroleum. The low-temperature vulcanization process and omitting silane coupling agent further reduce carbon emissions. The composition provides tires with high biobased content, good wet grip, and lower rolling resistance.

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