Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...
Reexamination Certificate
1996-12-06
2001-12-11
Henderson, Christopher (Department: 1713)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...
C524S274000, C525S139000, C525S141000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329457
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a vulcanized rubber composition having improved physical and mechanical properties and which exhibits improved cure parameters during the vulcanization process. More particularly, it relates to a rubber composition which is vulcanized in the presence of an anti-reversion coagent and a sufficient amount of resin to improve the cure parameters of the vulcanized rubber composition during vulcanization. The invention also relates to a vulcanization process which is carried out in the presence of an anti-reversion coagent and a cure-improving resin and the use of an anti-reversion coagent in combination with a cure-improving resin to replace, in part, silane coupling agents in vulcanizeable rubber compositions. Finally, the invention also relates to rubber products comprising rubber vulcanized in the presence of an anti-reversion coagent and a cure-improving resin.
In the tire and belt industries, among others, a better resistance to reversion is being demanded. This curing characteristic results in improved mechanical and heat resistance properties. In addition, it is typical to employ a silane coupling agent in order to improve the coupling of silica fillers with rubber compositions during the vulcanization thereof. However, these silane coupling agents are expensive, they decrease the processing safety of the rubber by decreasing the scorch time, and these compounds are generally considered to be toxic. Thus, there is a desire in the rubber industry to replace or eliminate these silane coupling agents either wholly or partially.
It has been observed that the sulfur-vulcanization of a composition comprising a rubber and an anti-reversion coagent comprising at least two groups selected from citraconimide and/or itaconimide groups results in a substantial reduction in the reversion of sulfur-vulcanized rubber compositions. This concept is generally disclosed in PCT patent applications WO 92/07904 and 92/07828.
However, these sulfur-vulcanized rubber products still require a significant quantity of silane coupling agents to improve the coupling between the silica fillers and the rubber.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to improve upon the compositions disclosed by WO 92/07904 and 92/07828 by providing a resin which will solve some of the problems associated with silane coupling agents by allowing partial replacement of these agents with a cure-improving resin. It has been found that the presence of these resins during vulcanization of rubber with an anti-reversion coagent results in improved cure parameters as well as excellent physical and mechanical properties.
For example, the scorch time (t
s
2) is increased whereas the vulcanization time (T
90
) is decreased, as compared to similar compositions employing standard quantities of silane coupling agents thereby leading to better process safety and faster production times. The combination of the cure-improving resin and the anti-reversion agent also leads to excellent anti-reversion properties, improved dynamic properties such as blow out times and improved heat resistance.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a vulcanized rubber composition which comprises the vulcanization reaction product of a composition containing at least:
A) 100 parts by weight of at least one natural or synthetic rubber;
B) 0.1 to 25 parts by weight of sulfur and/or a sufficient amount of a sulfur donor to provide the equivalent of 0 to 25 parts by weight of sulfur;
C) 10-100 parts by weight of at least one silica filler,
D) 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of at least one anti-reversion coagent comprising at least two groups selected from citraconimide and/or itaconimide groups; and
E) a sufficient amount of at least one cure-improving resin to significantly increase the delta torque of the rubber composition during the vulcanization process as compared to the delta torque of a similar rubber composition in the absence of the cure-improving resin.
In Canadian Patent No. 738,500 the vulcanization of rubbers in the absence of sulfur, with either bis-maleimides or bis-citraconimides, is disclosed. This process had, for its purpose, to be an alternative to sulfur-vulcanization processes. However, the rubber products made by the process of this patent suffer from the usual disadvantages of peroxide-cured rubbers such as low tensile strength and significant deterioration in other important properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,248 discloses that certain aromatic bismaleimides function as a coupling agent in silica filled sulfur vulcanized rubber compounds. These bismaleimides are used to replace conventional silane coupling agents. Also disclosed are sulfur-vulcanizeable rubber compositions employing these aromatic bismaleimides as coupling agents.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,041 teaches that tackifying resins such as rosin esters (i.e. colophony), can be used as promoters for silica-filled rubbers to decrease hysteresis. These tackifying resins serve as reinforcing promoters to aid in the bonding of silica fillers to rubber upon curing thereby resulting in the improved hysteresis. The patent further indicates that the use of silane coupling agents in combination with the tackifying resins and silica fillers is desirable.
Finally, British patent 1,302,983 discloses that the addition of colophony to rubbers compositions containing carbon black and silica fillers in order to improve the resistance to hysteresis in these rubbers.
The present inventors have found that the unique combination of certain cure-improving resins and an anti-reversion agent lead to significant, unexpected improvements in the cure parameters and physical properties of sulfur-vulcanized rubbers which contain silica fillers.
The present invention is applicable to all natural and synthetic rubbers. Examples of such rubbers include, but are not limited to, natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene-isobutylene rubber, brominated isoprene-isobutylene rubber, chlorinated isoprene-isobutylene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers, as well as combinations of two or more of these rubbers and combinations of one or more of these rubbers with other rubbers and/or thermoplastics.
The anti-reversion coagents used in the present invention comprise at least two groups selected from citraconimide and itaconimide. More preferably, the anti-reversion coagents are compounds represented by the general formula II:
Q
1
−D−(Q
2
)
p
(II);
wherein D, optionally containing one or more groups selected from nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, phosphorus, boron, sulphone, sulphoxy, polysulfide and sulfur, is a monomeric or oligomeric divalent, trivalent or tetravalent group, p is an integer selected from 1, 2 or 3, Q
1
and Q
2
are independently selected from the formulas III and IV:
wherein R
4
, R
5
and R
6
are independently selected from hydrogen, C
1
-C
18
alkyl groups, C
3
-C
18
cycloalkyl groups, C
6
-C
18
aryl groups, C
7
-C
30
aralkyl groups and C
7
-C
30
alkaryl groups and R
5
and R
6
may combine to form a ring when R
4
is hydrogen; B and B
1
are independently selected from oxygen and sulfur.
The imides used in the present invention are, in general, known compounds and may be prepared by the methods disclosed in, Galanti, A. V. et al., J. Pol. Sc.: Pol. Chem. Ed., Vol. 19, pp. 451-475, (1981); Galanti, A. V. et al., J. Pol. Sc.: Pol. Chem. Ed., Vol. 20, pp. 233-239 (1982); and Hartford, S. L. et al., J. Pol. Sc.: Pol. Chem. Ed., Vol. 16, pp. 137-153, 1978, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The imide compounds useful in the present invention and represented by the formula II are, more preferably, the biscitraconimides wherein Q
1
and Q
2
are of the formula III, R
4
=R
5
=R
6
=H, p=1 and B=B
1
=oxygen; the bisitaconimides wherein Q
1
and Q
2
are of the formula IV, R
4
=R
5
=R
6
=H, p=1 and B=B
1
=oxygen; the mixed cit
Datta Rabindra Nath
Hondeveld Martinus Gerhardus Johannes
Akzo Nobel N.V.
Henderson Christopher
Mancini Ralph J.
Parker Lainie E.
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