An article such as a power transmission belt includes an elastomeric body and at least one reinforcement cord disposed in the elastomeric body. At least part of the elastomeric body is formed from a rubber compound including styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) sustainable polymer. The rubber compound may include additional sustainable materials, such as one or more of additional sustainable rubber, sustainable fiber, sustainable carbon black, sustainable plasticizers, or the like. The rubber compound may have an overall sustainable content of 50% or greater, or even greater than 65%, such as up to about 95% or more total sustainable content for the rubber compound. The article may include further sustainable material, such as sustainable fabrics and/or sustainable reinforcement cords. The overall article may have a total sustainable content of 50% or greater, or up to about 95% or more total sustainable content for the article.

Provided is a short rubber reinforcement fiber for short fiber-containing rubber compositions that are used for transmission belts for which friction transmission behavior has been stabilized and travel service life has been further improved. The present invention is a short fiber, which is the product of cutting an adhesive-treated synthetic long fiber multifilament yarn and is used by dispersing in a rubber composition, the short fiber being characterized in that the percentage of the number of non-adhesive-treated single yarns is 0-5%; and a method for manufacturing said short fibers, the method comprising a step for immersing a sudare-woven product in which the synthetic long fiber multifilament yarns have been sudare-woven in an adhesive treatment solution and then pressing at a nip pressure of 1.2-5.0 MPa using nip rolls, and a step for cutting the sudare-woven product bundles obtained to a specified length.

A power transmission belt and a method for manufacturing said belt. The belt includes: a backing layer made of a material with elastomeric behaviour; a ventral layer made of a material with elastomeric behaviour; a mechanical reinforcement means inserted between the backing layer and the ventral layer comprising a film with thermoplastic transformation surrounding the mechanical reinforcement means, said film comprising at least: a first component physically and/or chemically bonded to at least one component of the backing layer; a second component physically and/or chemically bonded to at least one component of the mechanical reinforcement means; and a third component physically and/or chemically bonded to at least one component of the ventral layer. The method for manufacturing said belt may advantageously use an anti-sticking means.

A power transmission belt and a method for manufacturing said belt. The belt includes: a backing layer made of a material with elastomeric behaviour; a ventral layer made of a material with elastomeric behaviour; a mechanical reinforcement means inserted between the backing layer and the ventral layer comprising a film with thermoplastic transformation surrounding the mechanical reinforcement means, said film comprising at least: a first component physically and/or chemically bonded to at least one component of the backing layer; a second component physically and/or chemically bonded to at least one component of the mechanical reinforcement means; and a third component physically and/or chemically bonded to at least one component of the ventral layer. The method for manufacturing said belt may advantageously use an anti-sticking means.

A drive belt includes a foamed undercord layer having void spaces located throughout the foamed undercord layer. The void spaces extend from a backing layer of the undercord layer to an exterior surface of the backing layer, and may include some void spaces at the exterior surface that are open to the external environment. The foamed undercord layer may exhibit a 20% reduction in specific gravity as compared to an unfoamed version of the undercord layer. The manufacturing process for making the foamed undercord layer can include incorporating foaming agent in the undercord layer such that the undercord layer both foams and cures when heat and pressure are applied to the undercord layer. The foamed drive belt incorporating the foamed undercord layer may exhibit reduced bending stiffness and improved energy efficiency.

A drive belt includes a foamed undercord layer having void spaces located throughout the foamed undercord layer. The void spaces extend from a backing layer of the undercord layer to an exterior surface of the backing layer, and may include some void spaces at the exterior surface that are open to the external environment. The foamed undercord layer may exhibit a 20% reduction in specific gravity as compared to an unfoamed version of the undercord layer. The manufacturing process for making the foamed undercord layer can include incorporating foaming agent in the undercord layer such that the undercord layer both foams and cures when heat and pressure are applied to the undercord layer. The foamed drive belt incorporating the foamed undercord layer may exhibit reduced bending stiffness and improved energy efficiency.

A drive belt includes an undercord layer having a first region proximate a backing layer surface of the undercord layer and a second region proximate the exterior surface of the undercord layer, the first region being foamed and the second region either being foamed to a lesser extent than the first region or not being foamed. The drive belt further includes a cover layer formed over the exterior surface of the undercord layer. Alternatively, the drive belt may be foamed throughout the undercord layer thickness, with a cover layer formed on the exterior surface of the undercord layer. The manufacturing process for making the foamed undercord layer can include incorporating a first quantity of foaming agent in a first sheet of undercord layer material and either a second quantity of foaming agent in a second sheet of undercord layer material, the second quantity being less than the first quantity, or including no foaming agent in the second sheet. The first sheet and second sheet are disposed in a mold, to which heat and pressure is applied to cure the sheets and foam the first sheet and the second sheet when the second sheet includes foaming agent. The mold includes an exterior portion that forms ridges in the exterior surface of the undercord layer and a cover layer disposed on the exterior surface of the undercord layer. The drive belt incorporating the undercord layer having a foamed first region may exhibit reduced bending stiffness and improved energy efficiency.

A drive belt includes an undercord layer having a first region proximate a backing layer surface of the undercord layer and a second region proximate the exterior surface of the undercord layer, the first region being foamed and the second region either being foamed to a lesser extent than the first region or not being foamed. The drive belt further includes a cover layer formed over the exterior surface of the undercord layer. Alternatively, the drive belt may be foamed throughout the undercord layer thickness, with a cover layer formed on the exterior surface of the undercord layer. The manufacturing process for making the foamed undercord layer can include incorporating a first quantity of foaming agent in a first sheet of undercord layer material and either a second quantity of foaming agent in a second sheet of undercord layer material, the second quantity being less than the first quantity, or including no foaming agent in the second sheet. The first sheet and second sheet are disposed in a mold, to which heat and pressure is applied to cure the sheets and foam the first sheet and the second sheet when the second sheet includes foaming agent. The mold includes an exterior portion that forms ridges in the exterior surface of the undercord layer and a cover layer disposed on the exterior surface of the undercord layer. The drive belt incorporating the undercord layer having a foamed first region may exhibit reduced bending stiffness and improved energy efficiency.

A friction transmission belt includes a compression layer forming a pulley contact portion, the compression layer includes an inner layer formed from a rubber composition and an outer layer provided on a pulley contact side of the inner layer and formed from a fiber member, and a ratio (M10 modulus/M50 modulus) of an modulus at 10% elongation in a belt longitudinal direction (M10 modulus) to an modulus at 50% elongation in the belt longitudinal direction (M50 modulus), of the rubber composition, is not less than 1.5.

A friction transmission belt includes a compression layer forming a pulley contact portion, the compression layer includes an inner layer formed from a rubber composition and an outer layer provided on a pulley contact side of the inner layer and formed from a fiber member, and a ratio (M10 modulus/M50 modulus) of an modulus at 10% elongation in a belt longitudinal direction (M10 modulus) to an modulus at 50% elongation in the belt longitudinal direction (M50 modulus), of the rubber composition, is not less than 1.5.