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...
Patent
1996-08-24
1999-01-19
Cain, Edward J.
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...
524496, C08K 300
Patent
active
058614540
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a novel rubber composition of superior hardness and strength. More particularly, this invention relates to a rubber composition containing carbon fibrils in which specified carbon fibrils are compounded with synthetic rubber and/or natural rubber and to tires in which the composition is used.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Concerns over the limited oil resources in recent years has let to the imposition of certain fuel cost standards in an effort to bring about improvement in controlling automobile fuel costs. In order to meet the strict standards of the future, it will be necessary to improve existing materials and technology. One method is to reduce the weight of the tire itself, which would be effective in bringing about great improvement in automobile fuel costs.
Lowering the specific gravity of the rubber component that forms the tire can be considered. From this standpoint, it would be desirable to effect a great decrease in the quantity of use of carbon black, which has a high specific gravity. Carbon black has approximately twice the specific gravity as that of rubber. However, when the quantity of carbon is decreased, hardness, tensile strength and modulus during low extension are decreased and wear resistance is insufficient.
Another way of lowering the weight of the tire that has been considered is to decrease the size of the tire. However, when the tire is made smaller, the strength of the tire cannot be maintained. When the quantity of carbon black that is used is increased, hardness is increased. However, increase in strength is not sufficient. When an ever larger amount of carbon black is used, strength is decreased, the processing capacity of the rubber composition becomes poor and heat generated from vulcanized rubber is increased. In addition, there are the problems that the specific gravity of the rubber composition increases and the weight of the tire increases.
Consequently, it is desirous to have a reinforcing material which has a greater reinforcing capacity than conventional carbon black and that has greater hardness and wear resistance when used in small quantities. Most recently, fine, filiform carbon fibrils have been developed and it has been discovered that rubber compositions having hardness and good tensile strength and wear resistance can be obtained by addition of small amounts of reinforcing material. However, problems such as deterioration in the physical properties, and, of tensile strength in particular, of these rubber compositions at high temperatures remain.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a rubber composition that has a low specific gravity.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a rubber composition having a high degree of hardness, tensile strength and modulus.
It is a yet another object to provide a rubber composition having a high wear resistance.
It is another object to provide a pneumatic tire in which the surface layer of the tire is composed of a rubber composition having a low specific gravity, high degree of hardness, tensile strength and modulus, and a high wear resistance.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the ensuing description, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is broadly directed to a rubber composition containing carbon fibrils in which 0.5 to 60 parts by weight of carbon fibril material comprised primarily of an aggregate having an average particle diameter of 0.05 to 50 .mu.m in which fine, filiform carbon fibrils of 3.5 to 75 nm in diameter are intertwined with each other is mixed with 99.5 to 40 parts by weight of synthetic rubber and/or natural rubber.
The invention is also broadly directed to a pneumatic tire in which the surface layer of the tire is provided with the rubber composition as described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OP THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be understood more c
REFERENCES:
patent: 5124075 (1992-06-01), Yasuda et al.
patent: 5304326 (1994-04-01), Goto et al.
Hausslein Robert
Ikeda Hiroharu
Moy David
Niu Chun Ming
Ogata Naoya
Cain Edward J.
Hyperion Catalysis Int'l
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