The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Cigdem Gurer

Dane Kenton Parker

Martin Paul Cohen

Lewis Timothy Lukich

Michael Leslie Senyek

William Paul Francik

Xiaoping Yang

Steven Wayne Cronin

John Eugene Varner

Terry Lee Rose

John Richard Campanelli

This invention relates to preparation of nanocomposites comprised of elastomer and a dispersion of an at least partially exfoliated water swellable clay and to rubber compositions containing such nanocomposite and articles of manufacture which contain at least one component thereof. The nanocomposite is prepared by addition of a water suspension of water swellable clay particles to an anionic aqueous emulsion of elastomer particles to form a mixture to which an amine having at least two amine centers is added to intercalate and at least partially exfoliate the water swelled clay particles by an ion exchange within the galleries of the multilayered clay with cation exchangeable ion(s) and to aid in coagulating the elastomer and resultant clay particles to form said nanocomposite.

Preparation of nanocomposite of elastomer and exfoliated clay platelets, rubber compositions comprised of said nanocomposite and articles of manufacture, including tires

A method for evaluating and controlling a mixing process for polymer-based compounds includes the steps: obtaining initial starting conditions and values for viscosity dependent parameters; increasing batch temperature by a differential amount; calculating mixing parameters such as batch temperature, dispersion, viscosity, and torque based upon fundamental kinetic, thermodynamic, and theological models; determining whether an endpoint or end points of one or more mixing parameters has been achieved; and changing one or more conditions so as to achieve the desired endpoint(s).

Method for evaluating and controlling a mixing process

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North Canton, OH, United States of America

Cigdem Gurer