Preparation of starch reinforced rubber and use thereof in tires

Abstract

The invention relates to the preparation of a rubber composition containing starch / plasticizer composite reinforcement, together with at least one additional reinforcing filler, through the utilization of a combination of an organosilane disulfide compound mixed with a rubber composition in a preparatory, non-productive, mixing stage(s) followed by adding an organosilane polysulfide compound in a subsequent, productive, mixing stage. The invention further relates to the resulting rubber composition and use thereof in rubber products, including tires.

Description

FIELD[0001] This invention relates to the preparation of rubber compositions which contain a starch / plasticizer composite reinforcement, together with at least one additional reinforcing filler, and an organosilane disulfide compound added in a non-productive mixing stage(s) and followed by mixing an organosilane polysulfide compound in a subsequent, productive, mixing stage.[0002] The invention also relates to the preparation of rubber compositions and particularly tires having at least one component such as a tread thereof.[0003] Starch has sometimes been suggested for use in elastomer compositions for various purposes, including tires, particularly as a starch / plasticizer composite. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,639.[0004] Such starch composites may be used in combination with various other fillers, particularly reinforcing fillers for elastomers such as, for example, carbon black, silica, vulcanized rubber particles, short polymeric fibers, kaolin clay, mica, talc, titani...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0044] An overall philosophy of this invention is considered herein to be in a sense of separately and selectively first promoting an initial silane reaction with the reinforcing fillers, including the starch / plasticizer composite, without appreciable premature release of free sulfur and then, subsequently, promoting both a release of free sulfur and a further silane reaction with the product of the first silane reaction. A particular benefit is seen that preventing a premature release of free sulfur enables a lower viscosity of the rubber composition even under high severity mixing conditions required for a maximization of filler dispersion and polymer-filler interaction. A further benefit is a later combination of free sulfur generation coupled with a subsequent and additional silane reaction.

[0049] This aspect of the invention, as it is understood, is accomplished by first utilizing an organosilane disulfide compound (I) which has an active silane moiety but does not appreciably release free sulfur so that free sulfur is not liberated during the preliminary, non-productive, mixing stage(s) and so that sulfur can then be later and separately added via the hereinbefore described organosilane polysulfide compound (II) in the vulcanization of the rubber composition. In this manner, the benefits of initially and selectively reacting the silane portion of the organosilane disulfide compound with the starch composite and silica-based filler is obtained but delaying the release of free sulfur, and additional silane interaction until after both the initial preliminary non-productive mixing step(s) at the higher mixing temperature and the subsequent, productive, mixing step at the lower mixing temperature and until the vulcanization of the rubber composition at the higher temperature.

[0071] As a consequence, it has been observed, in an evaluation of an elastomer composition as illustrated in the Examples herein, that wet traction of a tire tread may be enhanced without appreciably degrading a tire handling property where a starch / plasticizer composite is used together with the dual, sequential, and selective addition of the organosilane disulfide compound (I) and the subsequent addition of the organosilane polysulfide compound (II).

[0074] A purpose of the alkyl alkoxy silane is, for example, to improve filler incorporation and compound aging. Representative examples of alkyl silanes are, for example but not intended to be limited to, propyltriethoxysilane, methyltriethoxy silane, hexadecyltriethoxysilane, and octadecyltriethoxysilane.

Problems solved by technology

While starch may have been previously suggested for use in rubber products, starch by itself, typically having a softening point of about 200.degree. C. or above, is considered herein to have a somewhat limited use in many rubber products, primarily because rubber compositions are normally processed by preliminarily blending rubber with various ingredients at temperatures in a range of about 140.degree. C. to about 170.degree. C., usually at least about 160.degree. C., and sometimes up to 180.degree. C. which is not a high enough temperature to cause the starch (with softening temperature of at least about 200.degree. C.) to effectively melt and efficiently blend with the rubber composit

Thus, it is considered herein that such softening point disadvantage has rather severely limited the use of starch as a filler, particularly as a reinforcing filler, for many rubber products.

It is, however, considered herein that an organosilane polysulfide blend, which is primarily a disulfide having an average of about 2.6 or less sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge, is not normally a good sulfur donor under such mixing conditions, due to the relatively strong sulfur-to-sulfur bonds typical of an organosilane disulfide--as compared to an organosilane polysulfide with an average of at least 3.5 sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge.

However, it is considered herein that such disulfide does not ordinarily readily liberate free sulfur in such aforementioned rubber / silica / coupler mixing operation.

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