Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Industrias Negromex, S.a. De C.v.

Peter John Wallen

Howard Allen Colvin

Christopher J Hardiman

Gregory C Bowman

Jose Eduardo Rojas Reyna

José Eduardo Rojas Reyna

A method for manufacturing a modified silica product includes admixing a mercapto silane and a silica to form a hydrophobated silica, and treating the hydrophobated silica with an oxidizing agent. Likewise, a method for manufacturing a silica masterbatch with the modified silica product includes the admixing a mercapto silane solution and a silica slurry to form a hydrophobated silica slurry, and then treating the hydrophobated silica slurry with an oxidizing agent to form a modified silica slurry. The modified silica slurry is blended with a rubber latex, which is then coagulated to form the silica masterbatch. Rubber formulations and articles manufactured with one of the modified silica product and the silica masterbatch are also disclosed.

Modified fillers for rubber compounding and masterbatches derived therefrom

A functionalized silica product includes particles of a hydrophobated silica having a coating of a polymer. A ratio of the hydrophobated silica to the polymer is from about 0.3/1 to about 100/1. The functionalized silica product may be in the form of a friable crumb or a powder, or in the form of a bale, that may be mixed into an elastomer formulation for a rubber article, such as a tire component.

Functionalized silica with elastomer binder

A functionalized silica product includes particles of a hydrophobated silica having a thin coating of an emulsion polymer. A ratio of the hydrophobated silica to the emulsion polymer is from about 4/1 to about 50/1. The functionalized silica product is in the form of a friable crumb or a powder that may be mixed into a elastomer formulation for a rubber article, such as a tire component.

The present invention provides a process for making silica-filled rubber masterbatch using silica hydrophobated with a trimethoxy silane coupling agent that is soluble in an alcohol-water solution containing at least about 70 wt % water. One embodiment uses a mixture of trimethoxy silanes, one or more of which react with rubber to bond the silica to the rubber, and one or more of which do not react with rubber, but do hydrophobate the silica. Hydrophobated silica is mixed with latex polymer and incorporated into rubber during coagulation of the latex, which is preferably coagulated with calcium chloride. The present invention further provides a process for making the trimethoxy silane coupling agents. Preferred trimethoxy silane coupling agents include bis-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)-disulfide and bis-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide. Rubber products, particularly tires, compounded with the inventive silica masterbatch can be processed for a long time before scorching because the silica masterbatch provides a long scorch time.

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Findlay, OH, United States of America

Peter John Wallen