Silica Masterbatch Made with Emulsion and Solution Rubber
First Claim
1. A process for making silica-filled solution rubber, comprising the steps of:
- hydrophobating silica with a coupling agent that bonds to the silica and provides a site for bonding to rubber;
mixing the hydrophobated silica into a process oil;
making a solution rubber stream comprising solution rubber in an organic solvent;
feeding the solution rubber stream to a steam distillation unit;
feeding the mixture of hydrophobated silica and process oil to the steam distillation unit;
operating the steam distillation unit; and
recovering a silica-filled solution-made rubber that comprises the solution rubber and the hydrophobated silica.
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Abstract
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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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A process for making silica-filled solution rubber, comprising the steps of:
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hydrophobating silica with a coupling agent that bonds to the silica and provides a site for bonding to rubber; mixing the hydrophobated silica into a process oil; making a solution rubber stream comprising solution rubber in an organic solvent; feeding the solution rubber stream to a steam distillation unit; feeding the mixture of hydrophobated silica and process oil to the steam distillation unit; operating the steam distillation unit; and recovering a silica-filled solution-made rubber that comprises the solution rubber and the hydrophobated silica. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A process for making a silica masterbatch, comprising the steps of:
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(a) hydrophobating silica; (b) receiving solution-made rubber crumb particles, wherein the solution-made rubber crumb particles were made in a solution process for making rubber; (c) making a polymer latex; (d) mixing the hydrophobated silica and the solution-made rubber crumb particles into the polymer latex; (e) coagulating the polymer latex from step (d); and (f) recovering a silica-filled rubber that comprises a mixture of silica, emulsion-made rubber and solution-made rubber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A process for making a silica masterbatch, comprising the steps of:
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making, obtaining or preparing a solution-made rubber stream having from about 5% to about 50% solids by weight in an organic solvent; receiving a suspension of emulsion-made rubber particles in water, wherein the emulsion-made rubber particles contain silica dispersed within the particles; feeding the solution-made rubber stream and the suspension of emulsion-made rubber particles to a steam distillation unit; operating the steam distillation unit; and recovering a silica-filled rubber that comprises solution-made rubber, emulsion-made rubber and silica. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A process for making a silica masterbatch, comprising the steps of:
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(a) hydrophobating silica and forming a compatibilized silica slurry; (b) making a polymer latex using a process for making an emulsion-made rubber; (c) mixing the compatibilized silica slurry into the polymer latex; (d) coagulating the polymer latex from step (c); and (e) recovering a first silica-filled rubber, wherein either (i) solution-made rubber crumb particles are mixed into the polymer latex with the compatibilized silica slurry, wherein the solution-made rubber crumb particles are made in a solution process in which one or more monomers are polymerized in an organic solvent and coagulated to form the solution-made rubber crumb particles, and wherein the first silica-filled rubber is the silica masterbatch, or (ii) the first silica-filled rubber is added into a process for making a solution-rubber to make a second silica-filled rubber, wherein the second silica-filled rubber is the silica masterbatch, and wherein the silica masterbatch comprises a mixture of silica, emulsion-made rubber and solution-made rubber. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification