RUBBER OR ELASTOMER COMPOSITIONS AND PROCESSES FOR THEIR MANUFACTURING

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with the field of polymer chemistry and relates to rubber or elastomer compositions as can be used for vehicle tires, and to a method for the production of the rubber or elastomer compositions.

The object of the invention is that in particular the elastic modulus of the compositions can be adapted depending on the temperature and/or the application conditions, and is a cost-effective and easily implemented method for the production of the compositions.

The object is attained by rubber or elastomer compositions that contain at least one rubber or elastomer matrix and at least 20 to 150 phr of a phase change material in solid or liquid form. In the methods according to the invention, at least one rubber and at least 20 to 150 phr of a phase change material in solid or liquid form are used, the composition is mixed or the at least one rubber is at least brought into contact with the phase change material, and further processing steps can be performed and a vulcanization can be performed.

Claims

1. Rubber or elastomer compositions containing at least one rubber or elastomer matrix and at least 20 to 150 phr of a phase change material in solid or liquid form, wherein the phase change material has a particle size of ≦1 μm, and wherein one or more auxiliary materials can be present.

2. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material has a particle size of 0.01-0.5 μm.

3. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material is present at 30 to 80 phr.

4. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material is present in the matrix in a homogeneously distributed manner or in a graduated distribution.

5. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein the matrix was produced from at least one natural rubber and/or at least one synthetic rubber, advantageously styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), butyl rubber (IIR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), carboxylated NBR, hydrogenated NBR, epichlorohydrin-ethylene oxide rubber (GECO), acrylic rubber (ACM), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), polyurethane rubber (PU), fluorinated rubber (FKM) and/or silicone rubber (VMQ), or of a mixture of the rubbers.

6. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein water, one or more non-paraffins, one or more inorganic salt hydrates, one or more eutectic alloys, one or more metals and/or one or more metal compounds are present as phase change material.

7. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 6, wherein ester, formic acid, caprylic acid, glycerin, D-lactic acid, methyl palmitate, camphenilone, docosyl bromide, caprylone, phenol, 1-cyclohexyloctadecane, 9-heptadecanone, 4-heptadecanone, 3-heptadecanone, 2-heptadecanone, p-toluidine, cyanamide, methyl eicosanoate, hydroxycinnamic acid, cetyl alcohol, α-naphthylamine, camphene, o-nitroaniline, thymol, methylbehenic acid, diphenylamine, p-dichlorobenzene, oxalate, hypophosphorous acid, o-xylene dichloride, nitronaphthalene, trimyristin, beeswax, glycolic acid, p-bromophenol, azobenzene, acrylic acid, phenyl acetate, thiosinaminum, bromocamphor, durene, benzylamine, methyl bromobenzoate, alpha naphthol, glutaric acid, p-xylene dichloride, catechinic acid, quinone, acetanilide, succinic anhydride, benzoic acid, stilbene, benzamide, and/or aliphatic acids, advantageously caprylic acid, elaidic acid, lauric acid, pentadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, tristearin, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, acetamide and/or salts thereof, advantageously zinc stearate, glyceryl stearate, methyl fumarate, potassium laurate and/or glyceryl laurate are present as non-paraffin.

8. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein at least one filler, at least one vulcanizing agent, at least one curing agent, at least one crosslinker, at least one accelerator and/or at least one activator, advantageously sulfur, peroxide and/or zinc oxide (ZnO), is present as auxiliary material.

9. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 8, wherein reinforcing filler, advantageously carbon black, calcium carbonate, layered silicate, carbon nanotubes, hydrotalcite, graphene, silica, and/or non-reinforcing filler, advantageously clay/alumina, calcium carbonate, talcum, and/or antioxidants, advantageously trimethylquinolone (TQ), is present as filler.

10. The rubber or elastomer compositions according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material is polar, or the elastomer matrix and the phase change material are polar.

11. A method for the production of rubber compositions, wherein at least one rubber and at least 20 to 150 phr of a phase change material in solid or liquid form are used, wherein phase change material with a particle size of ≦1 μm is used, wherein one or more auxiliary materials can be used, the composition is mixed or the at least one rubber is at least brought into contact with the phase change material with or without auxiliary materials, and further processing steps can be performed.

12. A method for the production of elastomer compositions, wherein at least one rubber and at least 20 to 150 phr of a phase change material in solid or liquid form are used, wherein phase change material with a particle size of ≦1 μm is used, wherein one or more auxiliary materials can be used, and further processing steps can be performed, and either the phase change material is mixed with the at least one rubber and subsequently vulcanized, or the at least one rubber is mixed with or without one or more auxiliary materials and vulcanized without, or after completion of, further processing steps and subsequently at least brought into contact with the phase change material.

13. The method according to claim 11 in which the mixed composition is rolled in a further method step.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein phase change material with a particle size of 0.01-0.5 μm is used.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein 30 to 80 phr phase change material is used.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the phase change material is distributed in the matrix in a homogeneous or graduated manner.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is produced from at least one natural rubber and/or at least one synthetic rubber, advantageously styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), butyl rubber (IIR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), carboxylated NBR, hydrogenated NBR, epichlorohydrin-ethylene oxide rubber (GECO), acrylic rubber (ACM), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), polyurethane rubber (PU), fluorinated rubber (FKM) and/or silicone rubber (VMQ), or from a mixture of the rubbers.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein water, non-paraffins, one or more inorganic salt hydrates, one or more eutectic alloys, one or more metals and/or one or more metal compounds are used as phase change material.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein ester, formic acid, caprylic acid, glycerin, D-lactic acid, methyl palmitate, camphenilone, docosyl bromide, caprylone, phenol, 1-cyclohexyloctadecane, 9-heptadecanone, 4-heptadecanone, 3-heptadecanone, 2-heptadecanone, p-toluidine, cyanamide, methyl eicosanoate, hydroxycinnamic acid, cetyl alcohol, α-naphthylamine, camphene, o-nitroaniline, thymol, methylbehenic acid, diphenylamine, p-dichlorobenzene, oxalate, hypophosphorous acid, o-xylene dichloride, nitronaphthalene, trimyristin, beeswax, glycolic acid, p-bromophenol, azobenzene, acrylic acid, phenyl acetate, thiosinaminum, bromocamphor, durene, benzylamine, methyl bromobenzoate, alpha naphthol, glutaric acid, p-xylene dichloride, catechinic acid, quinone, acetanilide, succinic anhydride, benzoic acid, stilbene, benzamide, and/or aliphatic acids, advantageously caprylic acid, elaidic acid, lauric acid, pentadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, tristearin, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, acetamide and/or salts thereof, advantageously zinc stearate, glyceryl stearate, methyl fumarate, potassium laurate and/or glyceryl laurate are used as non-paraffin.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one filler, at least one vulcanizing agent, at least one curing agent, at least one crosslinker, at least one accelerator and/or at least one activator, advantageously sulfur, peroxide and/or zinc oxide (ZnO), are added as auxiliary materials.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein reinforcing filler, advantageously carbon black, calcium carbonate, layered silicate, carbon nanotubes, hydrotalcite, graphene, silica, and/or non-reinforcing filler, advantageously clay/alumina, calcium carbonate, talcum, and/or antioxidants, advantageously trimethylquinolone (TQ), are added as a filler.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein a polar phase change material is used as phase change material, or a polar rubber and a polar phase change material are used.

Description

EXAMPLE 1 (PRODUCTION OF A RUBBER COMPOSITION)

[0066] 100 phr carboxylated NBR (XNBR, carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber) was mixed as a rubber with 5 phr ZnO as a curing agent, and 40 phr zinc stearate was added as a phase change material. Zinc stearate melts at 120° C.-130° C.

[0067] In a further processing step, the mixture was rolled in a double roller for 20 min and subsequently processed into films.

[0068] The rubber composition produced in such a manner had an elastic modulus of 30 MPa up to a temperature of 120° C.

[0069] At a temperature above 120° C., the zinc stearate melted in the elastomer composition. The elastic modulus of the elastomer composition was then 3 MPa at 140° C.

[0070] The elastic modulus of the rubber composition produced in such a manner improved by a factor of 10 compared to the known rubber composition. The degree of mechanical adaptability was nearly 10.

EXAMPLE 2 (PRODUCTION OF AN ELASTOMER COMPOSITION WITH PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL BEFORE VULCANIZATION)

[0071] 100 phr epichlorohydrin terpolymer rubber was mixed with 5 phr MTT (3-methylthiazolidone-2-thione) as vulcanizing agent and 5 phr ZnO and 5 phr stearic acid as activator and 1.5 phr sulfur as accelerator, and 40 phr formic acid was added as phase change material. Formic acid was present in liquid form. The phase change of formic acid takes place at a temperature of 8° C.

[0072] The starting materials were mixed, and the mixture was then rolled in a double roller for 10 min and subsequently processed into films and vulcanized at 160° C.

[0073] The elastomer composition produced in such a manner had a strength of 20 MPa at 0° C.

[0074] At 10° C., the elastomer composition had an increased elastic modulus of the elastomer composition of 2 MPa.

[0075] The elastic modulus of the rubber composition produced in such a manner improved by a factor of 10 compared to the known rubber composition. The degree of mechanical adaptability was nearly 10.

EXAMPLE 3 (PRODUCTION OF AN ELASTOMER COMPOSITION WITH PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL AFTER VULCANIZATION)

[0076] 100 phr epichlorohydrin terpolymer rubber was mixed with 5 phr MTT (3-methylthiazolidone-2-thione) as vulcanizing agent and 5 phr ZnO and 5 phr stearic acid as activator and 5 phr mercaptobenzothiazole as accelerator, and the mixture was then rolled in a double roller for 8 min and subsequently processed into films and vulcanized at 160° C.

[0077] The elastomer composition produced in such a manner had an elastic modulus of 2 MPa at 20° C.

[0078] The elastomer mixture was then completely immersed in distilled water for 4 days at 20° C.

[0079] The elastomer composition then had an increased elastic modulus of 10 MPa at a temperature of −5° C.

[0080] The material had an elastic modulus of 1 MPa at +5° C.

[0081] The elastic modulus of the rubber composition produced in such a manner improved by a factor of 10 compared to the known rubber composition. The degree of mechanical adaptability was nearly 10.