Patents for February
Patents from The United States Patent and Trademark Office compiled by the editors of Rubber World for February.
Steel cord for rubber reinforcement
U.S. patent: 12,351,980
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventors: Aijun Zhang and Haijun Ma
Assigned: NV Bekaert SA
Key statement: The invention provides a steel cord, the steel cord comprises two or more steel filaments, at least one of the steel filaments has a twist pitch of 6 mm to 40 mm, each of the steel filaments has a tip rise of less than 5 mm with a gauge length of 200 mm after being unraveled out of the steel cord. The invention steel cord has an improved straightness with reduced steel filament fracture risk.
Tread rubber composition with majority renewable content
U.S. patent: 12,351,717
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventor: Stacey Lynne Dean-Sioss
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: A tire component formed from a rubber composition comprises a majority weight percent of renewable materials. The rubber composition comprises, based on 100 parts per weight (phr) of elastomer: a blend of at least two rubber elastomers selected from a group consisting of: from about 40 phr to about 50 phr polybutadiene; up to about 35 phr of styrene butadiene copolymer; up to about 45 phr of natural rubber; a bio-derived resin material; and a bio-derived filler comprising silica and carbon black filler. The carbon black filler is at least partially derived from a bio based feedstock prior to its addition to the rubber composition. The resin and the silica are also derived from renewable materials.
Functionalized polymers tread additive to improve all season tire performance
U.S. patent: 12,350,967
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventors: Paul T.Q. Nguyen, Edward J. Blok, Anthony J. Dias, Ranjan Tripathy and Jason A. Mann
Assigned: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents
Key statement: An elastomeric composition is disclosed. The elastomeric composition includes, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr): about 20 to about 40 phr of a polybutadiene having a cis-1,4 linkage content of at least 95%; about 40 to about 70 phr styrene/butadiene copolymer; about 5 to about 30 phr natural rubber or polyisoprene; a curative agent; an antioxidant; about 1 to about 20 phr carbon black; about 1 to about 30 phr plasticizing oil; about 40 to about 80 phr silica; about 1 to about 15 phr silane coupling agent and about 5 to about 30 phr of a polymer selected from the group consisting of an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer, butyl rubber, poly(isobutylene-co-para-methylstyrene) and poly(isobutylene-co-para-methylstyrene-co-isoprene) terpolymer.
Synthetic rubber latex compositions with ionic liquid for elastomeric gloves
U.S. patent: 12,351,701
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventors: Monichan Puthuvelil Mathew and Asish Kumar Sharma
Assigned: P.T. Medisafe Technologies
Key statement: Provided are compositions and associated methods for producing elastomeric rubber gloves with improved strength and flexibility at desirable glove palm thicknesses. An example elastomeric rubber glove comprises a substrate formed from a composition comprising a synthetic rubber latex and an ionic liquid. The ionic liquid may comprise a combination of one or more alkyl imidazole ionic salts. The composition may comprise one or more metal oxides, including at least one of zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, cadmium oxide and aluminium oxide. The synthetic rubber latex compositions were found to yield a material with strength and flexibility characteristics comparable to natural latex gloves of a greater thickness. The described gloves may also be cured without the addition of sulfur and other vulcanization or rubber accelerators, further reducing the risk of allergies and costs of production.
Cylindrical rotary tire brush element with an integrated wear indicator
U.S. patent: 12,349,782
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventors: Theodore H. Yamin, Sr. and Theodore H. Yamin, Jr.
Assigned: Gallop Brush
Key statement: The present invention, a cylindrical rotary tire brush element with an integrated wear indicator, is intended to replace the prior art cylindrical rotary tire brush element in a prior art rotary tire brush assembly. The cylindrical rotary tire brush element with integrated wear indicator is intended as a drop in replacement to the prior art cylindrical rotary tire brush element of a prior art rotary tire brush assembly. The invention is made from at least two homogeneous pluralities of bristles, with each homogeneous plurality of bristles having the same purpose, material, color and specified length. At least one plurality is a cleaning bristle of a first color and first specified length. At least one plurality is an indicator bristle of a second color and a third specified length, where the second color is a highly noticeable color such as yellow, red, orange, green or white. The third specified length is equal to the minimum acceptable actual length of the cleaning bristles.
Thermoplastic elastomer composition, foamed material and manufacturing method thereof
U.S. patent: 12,351,694
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventors: Wen Wei Cheng, Hsi-Hsin Shih, Chia-Hung Hsu and Yu Tsan Tseng
Assigned: TSRC
Key statement: The present invention provides a thermoplastic elastomer composition for foaming. The thermoplastic elastomer composition comprises: (A) an ethylene based copolymer; (B) an olefin block copolymer; (C) an unsaturated aliphatic rubber; and (D) a crosslinking agent. The olefin block copolymer is different from the ethylene based copolymer. The weight ratio of the unsaturated aliphatic rubber (C) to the olefin block copolymer (B) is 1:1.5 to 1:5.
Method for recycling nitrile rubber
U.S. patent: 12,351,716
Issued: July 8, 2025
Inventors: Kentaro Ono and Sayaka Inoue
Assigned: Zeon
Key statement: A method of recovering nitrile rubber from water containing crumbs includes crumb-like nitrile rubber using an extruder in which a screw is disposed inside a barrel so as to be capable of being rotationally driven. The barrel is formed with at least a washing zone. The method includes supplying washing water to the washing zone at a water pressure of 0.2 MPa or higher while mixing the crumb-like nitrile rubber and the supplied washing water in the washing zone, thereby washing the crumb-like nitrile rubber.
Method for preparing uniformly cured solid loading tires from high modulus graphene oxide/natural rubber composite
U.S. patent: 12,359,030
Issued: July 15, 2025
Inventors: Yaqing Liu, Haoyu Duan, Shuaishuai Cheng and Guizhe Zhao
Assigned: North University of China
Key statement: A method for preparing a uniformly cured solid loading tire from a high modulus graphene oxide/natural rubber composite is provided. A high modulus graphene oxide/carbon black/natural rubber mixture sheet and two high viscosity graphene oxide/carbon black/natural rubber mixture sheets are prepared, where a weight ratio of graphene oxide to natural rubber to carbon black to an interface modifying agent to an anti-aging agent to an antioxidant to a vulcanization accelerator to an activator to a softener to a vulcanizing agent is 0.5-5:100:40-120:1-20:1-10:1-10:1-20:1-20:1-20:1-20. The high modulus rubber mixture sheet is sandwiched between the two high viscosity rubber mixture sheets to form a sandwich structure rubber mixture laminate, which is then processed into a strip. The strip is wound along a surface of a hub of a loading wheel and then the hub is transferred to a mold for vulcanization to obtain the desired tire.
Processes for the removal of rubber from non-/Hevea plants
U.S. patent: 12,359,004
Issued: July 15, 2025
Inventors: Yingyi Huang, Mark W. Smale, Robert W. White, Hiroshi Mouri, William M. Cole, Michael R. Hartzell and Taigyoo Park
Assigned: Bridgestone
Key statement: Provided herein are organic solvent based processes for the removal of rubber from non-Hevea plants such as guayule shrubs. By the use of the processes, solid purified rubber can be obtained that contains 0.05-0.5 weight % dirt, 0.2-1.5 weight % ash and 0.1-4 weight % resin (when it has been dried so as to contain 0.8 weight % volatile matter).
Temperature stable polymeric blends for use in non-pneumatic tires
U.S. patent: 12,359,058
Issued: July 15, 2025
Inventors: Jared J. Griebel, Hyeonjae Kim and Bret J. Chisholm
Assigned: Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations
Key statement: Disclosed herein are polymeric blends suitable for use in non-pneumatic tires, processes for preparing the polymeric blends and non-pneumatic tires and components thereof incorporating the polymeric blend. The polymeric blends include a thermoplastic polyester elastomer and a crosslinking compound.
Fluorinated elastomers for brain probes and other applications
U.S. patent: 12,364,424
Issued: July 22, 2025
Inventors: Jia Liu, Paul Claude Henri Le Floch and Hao Sheng
Assigned: President and Fellows of Harvard College
Key statement: Articles and devices comprising fluorinated elastomers, as well as methods of preparing fluorinated elastomers, are generally described. In some cases, such fluorinated elastomers can be used for sensing neural activity, e.g., by encapsulating electronic circuits, or other applications. Furthermore, according to certain embodiments, polymers can, surprisingly, be directly deposited onto layers comprising low molecular weight fluorinated elastomers, e.g., without swelling in the presence of certain solvents. Some embodiments are generally directed to devices and methods for treating fluorinated elastomers and subsequently depositing material onto the treated fluorinated elastomers. This may allow the fabrication and patterning of multilayered articles comprising fluorinated elastomers.