12 patents in this list

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Silica is increasingly significant in tire manufacturing due to its role in enhancing performance and efficiency. Its use as a filler improves tire durability, fuel economy, and grip, making it relevant for engineers and researchers in the automotive industry.

Key challenges include achieving optimal dispersion of silica within the rubber matrix and balancing cost with performance benefits. Technical barriers also involve maintaining process efficiency while integrating silica into existing manufacturing systems.

This webpage explores engineering solutions to these challenges, presenting methodologies and systems that enhance silica integration in tire production. Readers will find detailed approaches aimed at overcoming technical obstacles, improving tire quality, and optimizing manufacturing processes.

1. Rubber Composition with Dual Silica Filler System Featuring Distinct Surface Areas

Bridgestone Europe NV/SA [BE/BE], 2024

Rubber compositions for vehicle tires that balance wet performance, rolling resistance, and wear resistance. The compositions contain a filler system with two different silicas. One is a surface-functionalized silica with specific surface areas of 250-310 m2/g and 230-285 m2/g. The other is an unfunctionalized silica with specific surface areas of 60-120 m2/g and 55-105 m2/g. This blend of silicas improves wet grip, rolling resistance, and wear resistance compared to similar filler systems using only one type of silica.

2. Rubber Composition with Specific Silane Ratios for Tire Treads

Apollo Tyres Global R&D B.V., 2024

Cross-linkable rubber composition for tire treads with improved rolling resistance without sacrificing wet grip. The composition contains specific ratios of mercaptosilane and disulfide/tetrasulfide silanes as coupling agents, along with natural/isoprene rubber, filler, resin, and alkoxysilane-amino SSBR. The mercaptosilane:silane ratio is 2:1 to 4:1. Cross-linking the composition in a tire assembly provides the rolling resistance benefit without compromising wet grip.

3. Rubber Mixture Comprising Specific Styrene-Butadiene Rubber, Silica Filler, and Thioacetate or Thiopropyl Silane

Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH, 2024

Rubber mixture for tire treads with improved properties like rolling resistance, grip, and tear resistance. The mixture contains a specific type of styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) with a glass transition temperature between -35°C and -85°C. This rubber is combined with silica filler and a specific amount of a silane. The silane has a formula with a thioacetate or thiopropyl group (X) bonded to a silicon atom (Si) and a propyl group (R) with a siloxane (S) bond between them. The silane amount is 1-30 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr). The mixture can be used in tire treads for vehicles to provide better balance of properties like rolling resistance, grip, and tear resistance compared to conventional tire tread compositions.

US20240294730A1-patent-drawing

4. Rubber Composition with Dual Solution-Polymerized Styrene-Butadiene Rubbers and Dual Silica Fillers for Tire Applications

Apollo Tyres Global R&D B.V., 2024

Rubber composition for tires that provides improved rolling resistance, wet grip, and handling compared to conventional tire rubbers. The composition uses a blend of natural rubber, polybutadiene rubber, and two different solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers with specific glass transition temperatures. It also contains two silicas with different surface areas, along with coupling agents. The composition enables optimizing winter performance without sacrificing rolling resistance, by balancing silica-filler interactions and silanization. The cross-linkable composition can be used in tire treads, and the cross-linked tire has improved properties like rolling resistance, wet grip, and handling.

US20240287291A1-patent-drawing

5. Tire Rubber Composition with Isoprene-Based and Modified Styrene-Butadiene Rubber, Hydrogenated Resin, Silica, and Carbon Black

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2024

Tire rubber composition for improved wet grip and fuel efficiency. It contains a specific combination of rubber components, hydrogenated resin, silica, and carbon black. The rubber components are isoprene-based and modified styrene-butadiene rubber with high styrene content (30% or more). The hydrogenated resin has a high softening point (100°C or above) and moderate molecular weight (1200-1600 g/mol). The silica loading is 50-100% of the total filler content. This composition balance provides optimal wet grip and rolling resistance.

US20240287293A1-patent-drawing

6. Rubber Composition for Tire Treads with Specific Diene Rubber, Silica, Silane Coupling Agent, Fatty Acid Metal Salt, and Alkylsilane

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., 2024

Rubber composition for tire treads that provides a balance of low rolling resistance, good wet traction, and wear resistance. The composition contains specific diene rubber, silica, a silane coupling agent, a fatty acid metal salt, and an alkylsilane. The diene rubber has a high percentage of a specific conjugated diene rubber formed by reacting a siloxane with a diene-based polymer. This improves silica dispersion for rolling resistance. The alkylsilane plasticizer suppresses silica aggregation. The fatty acid salt further aids silica dispersion. The blend ratio of these components provides a balance of rolling resistance, wet traction, and wear resistance.

7. Rubber Compound for Tire Treads with Functionalized Butadiene Rubber and Liquid-Modified Diene Polymer

Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH, 2024

Rubber compound for tire treads that improves wet grip, rolling resistance, and profile stiffness. The compound contains a functionalized butadiene rubber, a liquid-modified diene polymer, a polar filler like silica, and a diene rubber. The functionalized butadiene rubber interacts with the polar filler. The modified diene polymer has a backbone modification that also allows interaction with the polar filler. This filler-rubber interaction improves wet grip and rolling resistance while maintaining stiffness.

8. Tire Rubber Composition with Isoprene Skeleton, Modified Styrene-Butadiene Rubber, Hydrogenated Resin, Silica, and Carbon Black

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2024

Tire rubber composition that provides improved wet grip and fuel efficiency. The composition contains an isoprene skeleton rubber, a modified styrene-butadiene rubber with 15% or less bound styrene, hydrogenated resin with a softening point over 100°C and Mw of 1200-1600, silica with 50-100% filler content, and carbon black. This balance of components enables optimized wet traction and reduced rolling resistance.

9. Rubber Composition for Tire with Diene-Based Polymers and Resin-Filler System

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2024

Rubber composition for tire that balances wet grip performance and fuel efficiency. The composition contains a specific combination of diene-based rubbers, a resin, and filler. The diene-based rubber components have different glass transition temperatures. One component has an isoprene skeleton and a low glass transition temp (-50°C or lower). The other component has a butadiene skeleton and is incompatible with the first component. The resin has a molecular weight of 200-1600 g/mol and content of 1-45 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts rubber. The filler content is 20-120 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts rubber. The ratio of 0°C tan δ to 50°C tan δ is 2.7 or more.

10. Rubber Composition with Modified and Unmodified Styrene-Butadiene Rubbers for Enhanced Filler Dispersion and Performance Balance

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2024

Rubber composition for tires that balances wet grip, fuel efficiency, and wear resistance. The composition contains a styrene-butadiene rubber (A) with a modified terminal group, and an unmodified styrene-butadiene rubber (B) with a higher glass transition temperature. The modified rubber (A) is produced by modifying an active polymer with a compound containing a silicon atom bonded to an amine group. This improves dispersion of fillers like silica for better wet grip and wear resistance. The unmodified rubber (B) provides the balance of fuel efficiency.

US20240253394A1-patent-drawing

11. Rubber Composition with Partially Hydrogenated Styrene-Butadiene Rubber and Specific Resin Content

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2024

Rubber composition for tires that balances wet grip, fuel efficiency, and handling. The composition contains natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber with high glass transition temperature, resin, and fillers. The styrene-butadiene rubber has been partially hydrogenated to match the isoprene rubber's solubility parameter. The resin content is in the range of 15-50 parts by weight relative to the natural rubber. This composition improves wet grip, fuel efficiency, and handling compared to typical tire rubber compositions.

US20240239998A1-patent-drawing

12. Rubber Composition with Modified Styrene-Butadiene Rubber, Silica, Thermoplastic Resin, and Silane Coupling Agent

The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD., 2024

Rubber composition for tires with improved steering stability, wet performance, and low rolling resistance over a wide temperature range. The composition contains specific amounts of modified styrene-butadiene rubber, silica, thermoplastic resin, and a silane coupling agent. The modified styrene-butadiene rubber has a vinyl content of 9-45 mol% and a glass transition temperature of -45°C or lower, with terminal groups containing siloxane or amine functionalities. The composition also has silica, thermoplastic resin, and a silane coupling agent in specific ranges.

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