High-Strength Materials for Tire Manufacturing

Coating molding feedstock particles with discrete carbon nanotubes to improve properties like strength, conductivity, and processability. The coating thickness is 5-5000 nm on particles <5 mm. The carbon nanotube coatings have controlled porosity and surface modifications for sintering, wetting, and flow. The coating composition has <20% entangled nanotube bundles >5 µm in size. The coatings can be used in 3D printing, molding, and injection molding processes.

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Tyres for vehicles with improved grip, wear resistance, and low weight. The tyres contain a rubber matrix with functionalized carbon nanoparticles like graphene and carbon nanotubes. The functionalization improves dispersion of the carbon nanoparticles in the rubber. This provides better grip, structural and chemical properties, and abrasion resistance compared to unfunctionalized carbon nanoparticles. The functionalization involves treating the carbon nanoparticles with chemicals like nitric acid to modify their surface.

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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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Preparing composites with filler dispersed in solid elastomers using a wet filler method. The wet filler contains filler and a liquid present in an amount of at least 15% by weight. The method involves charging a mixer with solid elastomer and wet filler, mixing to disperse, removing liquid by evaporation, and discharging the composite. The mixer has temperature control and settings of 65°C or higher. This allows efficient filler dispersion in solid elastomers compared to dry mixing methods, without degrading the elastomer. The composite has filler loading of at least 20 phr with less than 10% liquid content.

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Silane coupling agent for improving adhesion between polymers and fillers in composite materials. The coupling agent is a rotaxane compound with cyclic molecules and axial molecules penetrating them. One cyclic molecule has a functional group reacting with silica, while the other cyclic molecule has a functional group reacting with unsaturated carbon. This allows the rotaxane to act as a silane coupling agent between a polymer and filler when used in composite materials. The axial molecules have bulky caps to prevent the cyclic molecules from detaching. The rotaxane structure provides dynamic properties and enhanced adhesion compared to conventional silane coupling agents.

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A complex material for applications like composites with improved properties compared to conventional biopolymers. The complex contains a polyamide compound made from specific dicarboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, and diamine units, along with glass fiber. The polyamide compound is kneaded with the glass fiber to make the complex. The polyamide composition provides enhanced mechanical properties like strength, elasticity, and fracture strain compared to conventional biopolymers. The glass fiber reinforces the polyamide matrix. The complex can be made by kneading the polyamide compound and glass fiber together.

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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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Rubber composition for pneumatic tires with improved durability without sacrificing elongation. The composition contains a diene-based rubber, carbon black, and phosphoric acid-modified cellulose nanofiber. Adding the modified cellulose nanofiber to the rubber composition enhances rubber strength without reducing elongation compared to using just carbon black. This provides better tire durability without compromising tire flexibility.

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Preparing flash spinning/electrospinning composite ultrafine nanofiber material by combining flash spinning and electrospinning techniques. The nanofibers and microfibers are produced simultaneously using separate nozzles positioned above the receiving belt. The microfibers from flash spinning and nanofibers from electrospinning mix as they fall onto the belt due to airflow from the spinning processes. The mixed fibers are then hot-pressed to bond. This results in a composite fiber material with improved strength, water resistance, and air permeability compared to separate flash spinning or electrospinning.

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Activatable material for baffling, adhering, and reinforcing components of articles like vehicles. The material has improved properties like high tensile modulus, strain to failure, and adhesion durability compared to existing materials. It contains polyvinyl butyral, a thermoplastic epoxy, carboxyl-terminated polymer adduct, and optionally other components like polymeric particles, mineral reinforcement, and epoxy resin. The material activates at higher temperatures to form a crosslinked network with improved mechanical properties when heated or exposed to certain conditions.

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Rubber composition for pneumatic tires that improves durability without sacrificing elongation. The composition contains a diene-based rubber, modified diene-based rubber, carbon black, and phosphoric acid-modified cellulose nanofiber. The modified diene-based rubber improves rubber strength, while the nanofiber further enhances strength. The composition allows reducing filler like silica to improve elongation. The composition can be used in vulcanized rubber parts of tires.

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A tire assembly using shape memory alloys (SMAs) combined with polymers to create structures with combined properties of elasticity and strength. The tire assembly replaces the inner tube in a pneumatic tire with a toroidal SMA structure encapsulated in polymer. The SMA structure absorbs load like a spring and prevents punctures. The polymer encloses and bonds the SMA to the tread.

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Pelletizable fiber blends containing short fibers and a binder that can be directly added to polymers or rubbers without melting the pellets to disperse the fibers. The pelletized fiber blends improve fiber dispersion during polymer processing, reduce fiber clumping, and provide better interfacial bonding between fibers and the matrix. The blends have less than 1% wax to prevent sticking during pelletization. The pellets can be used to prepare composites with improved physical properties like tensile modulus, elongation, tear strength, and abrasion resistance compared to unpelletized fiber blends.

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Modified conjugated diene-based polymer for rubber compositions with optimized properties like modulus and tensile strength. The polymer has specific viscosity, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution ranges. It is prepared by controlled polymerization conditions. The polymerization step involves using an organometallic compound and stopping at low conversion. The modified polymer is then reacted with a modifier. This provides a rubber composition with improved properties like modulus and tensile strength compared to unmodified diene polymers.

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Carbon fiber composite wheel rim with variable thickness for lightweight strength and manufacturability. The rim has a radially outer ply block, an axially outboard ply block, and an axially inboard ply block. The outer block is fixed thickness, the outboard block has variable thickness, and the inboard block also has variable thickness. A filling block connects the outer, outboard, and inboard blocks. This allows optimizing thickness and angles for weight and fatigue resistance. The variable thickness design reduces weight compared to uniform thickness while still providing strength.

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Silica-filled natural rubber compositions for tire treads that provide improved properties like tensile strength, tear resistance, wear resistance, and impact resistance compared to traditional natural rubber treads. The compositions contain natural rubber, functionalized synthetic polyisoprene, and a silica filler. The functionalized synthetic polyisoprene has silica-interactive functional groups that impart polymer-filler interaction to the natural rubber domains in the composition, resulting in enhanced properties from both the natural rubber and the functionalized synthetic polyisoprene.

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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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Composite material with improved dispersibility when added to resins and other matrices. The composite has an exfoliated layered substance like graphene coated with a compound containing a reactive functional group like epoxy, vinyl ether, or isocyanate. Coating the layered substance surface with the reactive compound prevents agglomeration and improves dispersion when added to resins. The reactive compound allows chemical bonding to the matrix resin, enhancing adhesion and properties. The coating amount is 0.1-100 parts reactive compound per 100 parts layered substance.

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Composite material with enhanced integration between a high modulus fabric and thermoplastic elastomer. The composite has a woven fabric made of high modulus fibers sandwiched between thermoplastic elastomer layers. The thermoplastic elastomer penetrates the fabric openings and exposes at the other side. This anchors the fabric and thermoplastic. The fabric can have multifilament or monofilament yarns, but with specific weave characteristics. The thermoplastic elastomer softens and pushes through the fabric openings. The exposed area rate of the thermoplastic on the opposite side is 10% or more. This allows the thermoplastic to anchor the fabric and enhance integration.

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Preparing composites from solid elastomers and wet fillers with improved filler dispersion and rubber composite properties. The method involves charging a mixer with solid elastomer and wet filler (filler in liquid form), mixing at elevated temperatures to evaporate the liquid and discharging the composite with dispersed filler at high loading. The elevated mixing temperatures and liquid removal aid filler dispersion. The composite has reduced liquid content compared to wet mixing. This provides better filler dispersion in solid elastomer compared to traditional wet mixing.

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