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

Robert J Scribner

Christopher J Hardiman

Xuan Fu

Julian Maldonado Valenzuela

The present invention provides a process for making a silica masterbatch that contains hydrophobated silica, solution-made rubber and emulsion-made rubber. Hydrophobated silica is mixed into a latex emulsion. Solution-rubber crumb in an aqueous suspension is mixed into the latex emulsion, which is coagulated, and a crumb is recovered, further homogenized, dried and baled to yield the silica masterbatch. A well-dispersed mixture of hydrophobated silica and emulsion-made rubber is added into a steam distillation step of a solution-rubber process from which a silica masterbatch is recovered. The emulsion-made rubber can be omitted to make a silica masterbatch of solution rubber and silica without emulsion rubber. The silica masterbatch has physical properties similar to those found in a comparable dry-mixed composition, but the silica masterbatch can be incorporated more easily and less expensively into tires and other rubber products than the dry-mixed composition.

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Hermann, MO, United States of America

Robert J Scribner