Bridgestone Corporation

The University of Akron

Michael C Davis

William L Hergenrother

James Herman Pawlow

Christopher G Robertson

James D Ulmer

Waruna C B Kiridena

Yingyi Huang

Jeffrey Quinn

Erin Sheepwash

Jiahuan Hu

Julia A Dart

Toshikazu Miyoshi

A process for preparing a rubber vulcanizate, the process comprising (i) providing a vulcanizable composition of matter including a sulfur-based curative, zinc oxide, and a eutectic solvent; and (ii) heating the vulcanizable composition to thereby effect vulcanization.

Rubber vulcanization processes employing an eutectic mixture

A nanoparticle includes a copolymer comprising a vinyl-aromatic monomer and a heterocyclic monomer. The copolymer is crosslinked with a multifunctional crosslinking agent polymerizable through an addition reaction. A nanoparticle and elastomer composition is disclosed. Several methods of mixing heterocyclic and non-heterocyclic monomer nanoparticles into an elastomer are also disclosed. These methods include mixing in a multi-elements static mixer and an intermeshing mixer with venting, among others.

Nanoparticle fillers and methods of mixing into elastomers

Methods are described for quantifying an amount of natural rubber in a plant from a sample of the plant by obtaining a NMR spectrum and analyzing the signal peaks for the natural rubber in the plant sample and a standard component tested in combination with the plant sample. The NMR testing is conducted on a liquid state sample of a solution containing dissolved plant sample and standard component. A pre-determined and known amount of standard component is present in the liquid state sample and provides a reference for calculating an estimated amount of natural rubber in the plant sample. The estimated amount of natural rubber in the sample can be used to quantify the amount of extractable rubber in the sampled plant.

Methods for determining plant rubber content with low field NMR

Methods are described for quantifying an amount of natural rubber in a plant from a sample of the plant by obtaining a Tspin-lattice relaxation rate or Tspin-spin relaxation rate from a NMR apparatus, such as a low-field NMR apparatus operating at a magnetic field strength of 2 T or less. The NMR relaxation rates obtained from the plant sample are compared to reference relaxation data or plots. The plots can represent the weight percent polyisoprene versus Tspin-lattice relaxation rate or Tspin-spin relaxation rate. The reference relaxation data or plots are generated from testing the same type of plant as the sample.

Methods for quantifying rubber content in a plant with NMR

An apparatus and method for testing and analyzing the molecular structure of a sample material in an NMR device are described. A sample is held in a pre-determined stretched state in an apparatus that includes the sample arranged between two body components that are secured together with one or more retaining members that fit around the bodies or portions thereof. The apparatus is inserted into an NMR device to obtain NMR spectrums for analyzing the molecular structure of the samples, for instance, identifying strain-induced crystallinity and quantifying the same at pre-determined stretch ratios of a sample material.

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Independence, OH, United States of America

Michael C Davis