Patents for October 2022
Patents as compiled by the editor of Rubber World Magazine for October 2022
Rubber-metal adhesion promoter, rubber composition, and tire
U.S. patent: 11,427,698
Issued: August 30, 2022
Inventors: Shujiro Otsuki, Takayuki Odashima and Hidetoshi Hirahara
Assigned: DIC, National University and Iwate University
Key statement: A rubber-metal adhesion promoter characterized by including: a metal salt (1) of a carboxylic acid which is a metal salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 2 to 25 carbon atoms and in which the metal is bismuth, copper, antimony, silver or niobium; or a compound (2) represented by the following general formula (A): [wherein Z represents a structure selected from the following formulae (z-1) to (z-4); M represents bismuth, copper, antimony, silver or niobium; (RCOO) represents a residue of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 2 to 25 carbon atoms; and x represents the valence of M minus 1].
Rubber composition comprising a specific crumb rubber
U.S. patent: 11,427,702
Issued: August 30, 2022
Inventors: Damien Thomasson and Olivia Cuscito
Assigned: Michelin
Key statement: A rubber composition is based on at least an elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a crosslinking system and a crumb rubber, the said crumb exhibiting: an acetone extract of between 8% and 50% by weight; a chloroform extract such that the ratio of the chloroform extract to the acetone extract, expressed as percentage by weight, is less than 1.5, the chloroform extract exhibiting a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of less than 10,000 g/mol; and a content of plasticizer of greater than 8% by weight in the composition of the crumb.
Studless tire
U.S. patent: 11,433,705
Issued: September 6, 2022
Inventors: Tetsuya Kunisawa, Shuichiro Ono, Kenichi Uesaka and Seiji Hatano
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber
Key statement: A studless tire having a tread composed of a rubber composition for a tread comprising 1 to 20 parts by mass of a farnesene resin and 1 to 20 parts by mass of a terpene resin based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component.
Composite and pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,433,706
Issued: September 6, 2022
Inventors: Natsuki Maekawa, Koji Fujisawa, Hiroshi Ito, Ryosuke Harada and Daiko Fujimori
Assigned: Sumitomo Rubber
Key statement: The present invention provides a composite that has good initial adhesion and good adhesion after high temperature and high humidity aging. Provided is a composite including: a topping rubber composition having a fatty acid content of 0.8% by mass or less; and an adherend plated with a copper-containing layer.
Rubber composition and tire
U.S. patent: 11,434, 351
Issued: September 6, 2022
Inventor: Masato Tani
Assigned: Otsuka Chemical
Key statement: Provided is a rubber composition containing non-fibrous titanate compound particles and having excellent dispersibility of the titanate compound particles and excellent wet grip performance and wear resistance. A rubber composition containing a rubber component mixed with: non-fibrous titanate compound particles having an average particle diameter of less than 30 μm and a BET specific surface area of 2 m2/g or more; and silica particles having a BET specific surface area of 50 to 250 m2/g.
Rubber composition and pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,434, 352
Issued: September 6, 2022
Inventors: Jumpei Hayami and Yuki Hidaka
Assigned: Toyo Tire
Key statement: A rubber composition comprising a diene rubber and a liquid crystal elastomer. It is preferred that the liquid crystal elastomer has a (liquid crystal phase)-to-(isotropic phase) transition temperature (Ti) of 20°C or less. It is preferred that the liquid crystal elastomer has a functional group that reacts with the diene rubber. It is preferred that the functional group is a functional group containing at least a sulfur atom. It is preferred that the liquid crystal elastomer is a liquid crystal polyurethane elastomer. Moreover, it is preferred that the liquid crystal polyurethane elastomer is a reaction product of a mesogenic group-containing compound having at least an active hydrogen group, an isocyanate compound, a polysulfide-containing compound and a photopolymerizable group-containing compound.
System and method for determining tire wear and defects
U.S. patent: 11,440,358
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: Charles Lee Oakes, III and Jess W. Gingrich
Assigned: United Services Automobile Association
Key statement: The present invention provides a tire wear detection sensor for a vehicle having a telematics system and tires including a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor and an RF antenna in electronic communication with the sensors and capable of transmitting the temperature signal and the pressure signal to the telematics system.
Silane disulfide vegetable oils, method of making and use in rubber compositions and tiresU.S. patent: 11,440,877
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: Joseph John Kulig, Kelsey Elizabeth Cantwell, Frank James Feher, Thomas Franklin Spilker and George Jim Papakonstantopoulos
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: The present invention is directed to novel silane disulfide vegetable oils, a method of making the oils, their use in rubber compositions and their use in tires.
Rubber composition for tires including carbon nanotubes and method for producing sameU.S. patent: 11,441,006
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: Nam Sun Choi, Dong Hoon Oh, Sang Hyo Ryu and Chung Heon Jeong
Assigned: Korea Kumho Petrochemical
Key statement: An embodiment of the present invention provides a rubber composition for tires and a method for producing same, wherein the rubber composition for tires includes: carbon nanotubes including structural defects on at least a portion of the surface and having a thermal decomposition temperature equal to or less than 600°C; and a rubber matrix.
Method for pelletizing carbon black reclaimed from waste tires
U.S. patent: 11,441,038
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: William Anthony Wibbeler and Nathaniel Cole Murphy
Assigned: Waste to Energy Partners
Key statement: One variation for a method for converting tires into pelletized, recovered carbon black includes: shredding a set of tires into a volume of tire rubber segments, the set of tires selected from a group comprising an agricultural tire, a commercial vehicle tire and a passenger tire; in a pyrolytic reactor, thermally depolymerizing the volume of tire rubber segments into a volume of carbonaceous material; comminuting the volume of carbonaceous material; removing from the volume of carbonaceous material agglomerates larger than the maximum agglomerate diameter; within a mixer, mixing the volume of carbonaceous material with a binding agent over a first interval, the mixer inducing formation of a set of pellets of a range of pellet diameters; drying the set of pellets within a dryer to a particular moisture content; and removing from the set of pellets a first subset of pellets larger than a maximum pellet size.
Pneumatic tire having tread with three elastomers
U.S. patent: 11,441,018
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: Jennifer Lyn Ryba and Philip Jordan Young
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition, the vulcanization rubber composition comprising: 1) 100 parts by weight of elastomer consisting of 25 to 35 phr of a styrene-butadiene rubber, 25 to 35 phr of a polybutadiene and 35 to 45 phr of a natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene, wherein the styrene-butadiene rubber is a functionalized solution polymerized styrene-butadiene elastomer having a glass transition temperature Tg(A) ranging from -30 to -10°C and having at least one functional group; the natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene has a Tg(B) ranging from -60 to -70°C; and the polybutadiene is a cis 1,4 polybutadiene having a Tg(C) ranging from -110 to -90°C, wherein Tg(A) – Tg(B) ≥ 25°C and Tg(B) – Tg(C) ≥ 25°C; 2) 60 to 80 phr of a prehydrophobated silica; 3) 1 to 10 phr of carbon black; 4) 1 to 3 phr of rubber processing oil; and 5) 5 to 25 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin having a ≥ 20°C, wherein the weight ratio of hydrocarbon resin to rubber processing oil is greater than 8.
Ply coat rubber composition and a tire comprising a ply coat rubber composition
U.S. patent: 11,441,019
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: Carolin Anna Welter, Jean-Claude Knepper, Marc-Andre Paulus, Betul Buehler, Dawn Michelle Johnson, Philippe Schmit and Vaibhav Nawale
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: In accordance with the invention, a ply coat rubber composition for a tire ply comprises from 60 phr to 90 phr of natural rubber, from 10 phr to 40 phr of synthetic polyisoprene, from 30 phr to 80 phr of pre-silanized and precipitated silica, from 0.1 phr to 5 phr of a cobalt salt, up to 15 phr of carbon black, up to 5 phr of resin and up to 8 phr of oil. Moreover, the invention is directed to a tire comprising such a rubber composition.
Pneumatic tire
U.S. patent: 11,441,021
Issued: September 13, 2022
Inventors: Pascal Patrick Steiner, Georges Marcel Victor Thielen, Marc Weydert and Benoit Duez
Assigned: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Key statement: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) 100 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from -85°C to -50°C; (B) from 1 to 30 phr of a process oil; (C) from 20 to 80 phr of a hydrocarbon resin having a Tg of at least 30°C; and (D) from 90 to 150 phr of silica.
Heavy duty tire
U.S. patent: 11,427,031
Issued: August 30, 2022
Inventors: Reo Nakasato and Taiki Sato
Assigned: Bridgestone
Key statement: A heavy duty tire (10) includes a recess portion (34), a circumference-direction air entry and exit promotion portion (36) and an air-catching wall portion (42). The recess portion (34) is formed in a buttress portion (26) and opens to a tire outer side. The circumference-direction air entry and exit promotion portion (36) is disposed at one side of a floor portion (40) in a tire rotation direction and includes a slope (46) that, from the floor portion (40) toward a tire surface, gradually decreases in depth from the tire surface. The circumference-direction air entry and exit promotion portion (36) facilitates access of air toward the floor portion. The air-catching wall portion (42) is disposed at the opposite side of the floor portion (40) from the circumference-direction air entry and exit promotion portion (36). The air-catching wall portion (42) has a greater angle relative to the tire surface than the slope.
Method and product of modifying vulcanized rubber
U.S. patent: 11,434,353
Issued: September 6, 2022
Inventors: Georg Bohm, Xuesong Yan, Yu Sun and Li Jia
Assigned: Appia
Key statement: A method and product thereof, for modifying the surface of recycled sulfur-cured rubber via surface devulcanization that minimizes alteration of the network structure of the recycled sulfur-cured rubber, while generating strong tack between mixed recycled rubber and fresh rubber for optimal adhesion upon subsequent co-curing. In one embodiment, the surface of recycled rubber is devulcanized by treating recycled rubber with a thiol and a base dissolved in a solvent that does not effectively penetrate and only minimally swells vulcanized rubbers.