The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Exxonmobil Chemicals Patents, Inc.

Yoshihiro Soeda

Andy Haishung Tsou

Yuichi Hara

Osamu Ozawa

Tetsuji Kawazura

Noriaki Kuroda

Yoshiaki Hashimura

Hidekazu Takeyama

Gou Kawaguchi

Matthew Brian Measmer

Yoshiaki Kirino

Masahiro Ikawa

Jiro Watanabe

Shusaku Tomoi

Naoyuki Morooka

Takashi Satoh

Tomoyuki Sakai

Kazuo Suga

Katuhiro Tanaka

Giro Watanabe

Stephan Bertil Ohlsson

Daisuke Kanenari

Hsien-Chang Wang

Kazunori Ishikawa

Shuji Takahashi

Porter Clarke Shannon

Kazuto Yamakawa

James Peter Stokes

Michael Brendan Rodgers

Hirokazu Shibata

Shigeru Yamauchi

Susumu Hatanaka

Daisuke Irii

Michael Kenneth Lyon

Glenn Edward Jones

Jerry Willie Ball

Yuji Kawamori

Arthur Joseph Sullivan

Katsuhiro Tanaka

Jay Kin M Keung

Toshio Maruyama

Foshee Joyce Caraway

Hiroyuki Kaidou

Joyce Foshee Caraway

A tire comprising an outer tread layer, intermediate sidewall and carcass layers and an innermost air permeation prevention layer: (i) the air permeation prevention (APP) layer having an upper and a lower surface, the layer having a polymer composition exhibiting an air permeation coefficient (APC) of about 25&#xd7;10cc cm/cmsec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of about 1 MPa to about 500 MPa, the polymer composition comprising: (A) at least 10 wt % of at least one thermoplastic resin component having an APC of about 25&#xd7;10cc cm/cmsec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of more than 500 MPa, which is preferably a polyamide resin or mixture, and (B) at least 10 wt % of at least one elastomer component having an APC of more than about 25&#xd7;10cc cm/cmsec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) and a Young's modulus of not more than 500 MPa, which elastomer component is preferably a halogen-containing rubber or mixture, the total amount (A)+(B) being not less than about 30 wt %, and the elastomer component is a dispersed vulcanized, discontinuous phase in the thermoplastic resin matrix; and (ii) at least one thermoplastic laminate layer bonded to at least said lower surface of the APP layer, the thermoplastic layer comprising a film-forming, semi-crystalline, substantially hydrophobic carbon chain polymer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, of less than about &#x2212;20&#xb0; C.

Low moisture permeability laminate construction

An article having a fluid permeation prevention layer, such as a pneumatic tire or hose. A tire for example includes an outer tread layer, intermediate sidewall and carcass layers and an innermost air permeation prevention layer: (i) the air permeation prevention (APP) layer having an upper and a lower surface, the layer having a polymer composition exhibiting an air permeation coefficient (APC) of about 25&#xd7;10'12 cc cm/cm2 sec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of about 1 MPa to about 500 MPa, the polymer composition comprising: (A) at least 10 wt % of at least one. thermoplastic resin component having an APC of about 25&#xd7;10&#x2033;12 cc cm/cm2 sec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) or less and a Young's modulus of more than 500 MPa, which is preferably a polyamide resin or mixture, and (B) at least 10 wt % of at least one elastomer component having an APC of more than about 25&#xd7;10&#x2033;12 cc cm/cm2 sec cmHg (at 30&#xb0; C.) and a Young's modulus of not more than 500 MPa, which elastomer component is preferably a halogen-containing rubber or mixture, the total amount (A)+(B) being not less than about 30 wt %, and the elastomer component is a dispersed vulcanized, discontinuous phase in the thermoplastic resin matrix; and (ii) at least one thermoplastic laminate layer bonded to at least said lower surface of the APP layer, the thermoplastic layer comprising a film-forming, semi-crystalline, substantially hydrophobic carbon chain polymer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, of less than about &#x2212;200 C.

A layered structure suitable for use in a pneumatic tire as an innerliner is prepared by directly bonding a fluid permeation prevention film and an adhesive tie layer. Prior to the bonding, the fluid permeation prevention layer is treated to remove any residual plasticizers or oils on the surface of the film. The tie layer comprises 100 weight % of at least one halogenated isobutylene containing elastomer and about 1 to about 20 parts per hundred (phr) of at least one tackifier. The fluid permeation prevention film comprises an elastomeric component dispersed in a vulcanized or partially vulcanized state, as a discontinuous phase, in a matrix of the thermoplastic resin component. The two layers of the layered structure may be separately extruded and then adhered to each other or adhered to each other during a calendaring operation wherein the adhesive tie layer composition is coated onto the treated film.

Construction comprising tie layer

A laminate (C) of a thermoplastic polymer composition comprising: a thermoplastic resin composition (A) having an permeation coefficient of 10&#xd7;10cc&#xb7;cm/cm&#xb7;sec&#xb7;cmHg or less, laminated with a thermoplastic polymer composition (B) having a melt viscosity of 500-2000 Pa&#xb7;s and a Young's modulus at a room temperature of 1-400 MPa, wherein the thickness of a layer of the thermoplastic resin composition (A) is 0.05-10 &#x3bc;m and the air permeation coefficient of the laminate (C) of 20&#xd7;10cc&#xb7;cm/cm&#xb7;sec&#xb7;cmHg or less, and a pneumatic tire using the above laminate (C) as an inner liner.

Laminate or thermoplastic polymer composition having low air permeability and pneumatic tire using same as inner liner

A vulcanizable layered composition comprising at least two layers and at least one tie layer, wherein the first layer of the two layers is a fluid permeation prevention layer preferably comprising:

A durable, flexible, impermeable thermoplastic elastomer composition is produced using a dynamic vulcanization process conducted in a high shear mixer at elevated temperature. The composition comprises cured particles of a first halogenated isobutylene-containing elastomer and particles of a second elastomer having at least one functional group capable of reacting with and grafting to a polyamide, the particles of the first and second elastomers dispersed in a continuous thermoplastic polyamide matrix, said process comprising: (1) dispersing a curative in the halogenated elastomer and forming a pre-compounded, preferably pelletized composition; (2) introducing polyamide resin and optional stabilizers into the mixer and shearing and heating to melt the polyamide and form a mixture; (3) introducing a nylon plasticizer to reduce the viscosity of the polyamide mixture to substantially match that of the pre-compounded elastomer under mixing conditions; (4) introducing pellets of the pre-compounded elastomer into the mixer and initiating dynamic vulcanization of the elastomer and polyamide components; (5) introducing the second elastomer and continuing heating and shearing to disperse the second elastomer and substantially complete dynamic vulcanization; and delivering the thermoplastic elastomer composition from the mixer. Such compositions are particularly useful in applications such as tire innerliners and barrier films or layers.

Efficient mixing process for producing thermoplastic elastomer composition

This disclosure relates to a vulcanizable layered composition comprising at least two layers and at least one tie layer. The first of the two layers comprises a fluid permeation prevention layer and the second comprises at least one high diene rubber. The tie layer comprises, a mixture, in parts by weight relative to 100 weight parts of rubber, of suitable amounts of: (1) epoxidized natural rubber; (2) at least one high diene elastomer; (3) at least one filler; (4) least one tackifier; and (5) a rubber curing system. The fluid permeation prevention layer preferably comprises suitable amounts of: (A) at least one thermoplastic engineering resin component, preferably one or more nylon resins; and (B) at least one elastomer component, preferably a brominated isobutylene p-methylstyrene copolymer/and where the total amount of (A) and (B) is not less than 30% by weight, and wherein (B) is dispersed in a vulcanized or partially vulcanized state, as a discontinuous phase, in a matrix of component (A).

A thermoplastic elastomer composition possessing superior air impermeability, excellent durability and flexibility. In particular, the composition includes (A) at least one halogenated isobutylene-containing elastomer; and (B) at least one nylon resin having a melting point of about 170&#xb0; C. to about 260&#xb0; C.; and (C) a low molecular weight polymeric nylon plasticizer; wherein: (1) the at least one elastomer is present as a dispersed phase of small vulcanized particles in a continuous nylon phase; and (2) the elastomer particles are formed by dynamic vulcanization. Use of a low molecular weight nylon plasticizer provides for improved mixing and rubber dispersion while retaining the high levels of impermeability achievable by the use of nylon resin and halogenated isobutylene-containing elastomer in a dynamically vulcanized composition. Such compositions are particularly useful in applications such as tire innerliners and barrier films or layers as well as hoses.

Low permeability thermoplastic elastomer composition

A polyamide resin composition, having an excellent extensibility and flexing fatigue, composed of a polyamide resin (A), as a matrix, and a modifying polymer (C), dispersed therein, having a functional group (B) reactive with the polyamide resin (A), wherein a tensile stress at break of the modifying polymer (C) is 30 to 70% of the tensile stress at break of the polyamide resin (A), and a tensile elongation at break of the modifying polymer (C) is 100 to 500% of the tensile elongation at break of the polyamide resin (A) as well as a pneumatic tire and hose using the same.

Polyamide resin composition having superior extensibility and flexing fatigue and pneumatic tire and hose using the same

A thermoplastic elastomer composition having excellent durability and flexibility while possessing superior air impermeability. In particular, a process for producing a thermoplastic elastomer composition having high rubber content by multistage addition of at least one vulcanizable rubber component, in which the time required to substantially cure the at least one rubber component preferably is less the mixer residence time. Such compositions are particularly useful in applications such as tire innerliners and barrier films or layers.

Thermoplastic elastomer composition and process for producing same

An oriented thermoplastic elastomer film having reduced permeability and improved fatigue resistance comprising a dynamically vulcanized polymer blend of (A) a halogenated isobutylene elastomer and (B) polyamide, the film is produced by casting or blowing the above polymer blend under the condition such that a shear rate at a die lip for casting or blowing is regulated to control the molecular arrangement in the film, whereby the planar birefringence (PBR) of the resultant film becomes greater or equal to 0.002 and a production process of the same.

Oriented thermoplastic elastomer film and process for producing the same

A laminate of a thermoplastic resin and rubber comprising a thermoplastic resin layer (A) made of a matrix of a polyamide resin matrix containing an elastomer dispersed therein and an unvulcanized diene-based rubber layer (B) containing a diene-based rubber and a low molecular weight diene-based rubber having an acid anhydride group and having a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 50,000 laminated partially or totally in at least one layer each to form a laminate integrated at the time of vulcanization and a pneumatic tire using the same.

Laminate of thermoplastic resin and rubber and pneumatic tire using the same

A thermoplastic elastomer composition containing (i) a thermoplastic resin, (ii) an elastomer component discontinuously dispersed in the thermoplastic resin and (iii) a molecular chain extender, wherein the dispersed state of the particles of the elastomer component dispersed in the matrix of the thermoplastic elastomer composition is stabilized.

Thermoplastic elastomer composition

A method for controlling a dispersion size of an elastomer in a thermoplastic elastomer composition having improved durability and impermeability obtained by melt-mixing (A) a halogenated isobutylene elastomer, (B) polyamide and (C) a dispersion aid, and dynamically vulcanizing the resultant blend to form the dynamically vulcanized polymer blend, wherein the halogenated isobutylene elastomer is dispersed in the polyamide matrix at a volume-average dispersion diameter of less than 2.0 &#x3bc;m.

Method for controlling dispersion size of elastomer in thermoplastic elastomer composition

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Hiratsuka, Japan

Yoshihiro Soeda