Reinforced elastomer preparation and tire having component thereof

Claim 1

A method of preparing an elastomer/filler composite as a dispersion of a filler formed in-situ within an elastomer host characterized by blending, in an internal mixer, a filler precursor, condensation reaction promoter and elastomer host selected from elastomer host (A) and elastomer host (B), to initiate a condensation reaction of said filler precursor and, for elastomer host (A), and optionally for elastomer host (B), subsequently adding and reacting, in an internal mixer, an organosilane material with said filler/filler precursor prior to the completion of said condensation reaction; followed by recovering the resulting elastomer/filler composite; wherein said elastomer host (A) is selected from at least one of homopolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated diene with a vinyl aromatic compound selected from styrene and alpha-methylstyrene; wherein said elastomer host (B) is selected from at least one alkoxy metal end functionalized diene-based elastomer wherein said metal is selected from silicon, titanium, aluminum or boron, and wherein said elastomer is selected from at least one of homopolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated diene with a vinyl aromatic compound selected from styrene and alpha-methylstyrene; wherein said filler precursor is at least one material selected from the formulas (IIA), (IIB) and (IIC): (IIA)   M(OR) x (R') y (IIB)   (RO) x (R') y M-O-M'(R') z (RO) w (IIC)   (RO) x (R') y M-(CH 2 ) r -M'(R') z (RO) w wherein M and M' are the same or different and are selected from silicon, titanium, zirconium, boron and aluminum, where R and R' are alkyl radicals individually selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isobutyl radicals, and wherein the sum of the integers x+y and w+z is equal to 4 except when its associated M or M' is boron or aluminum for which it is 3; and wherein r is from 1 to 15; wherein said organosilane is at least one material selected from formula (III), (IV) and (V), namely: an organosilane polysulfide of Formula (III) as: (III)   Z-R 1 -S m -R 1 -Z wherein m is a number in a range of from 2 to 8 and the average for m is in a range of (a) 2 to 2.6 or (b) 3.5 to 4.5; wherein Z is represented by the following formulas: wherein R 2 is the same or different radical and is individually selected from alkyl radicals having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and phenyl radical; R 3 is the same or different alkoxy groups wherein the alkyl radicals of the alkoxy group(s) are alkyl radicals selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isobutyl radicals; and R 1 is a radical selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl radicals having a total of 1 to 18 carbon atoms and a substituted or unsubstituted aryl radical having a total of 6 to 12 carbon atoms; an alkyl alkoxy silane of Formula (IV) as: (IV)   (OR 4 ) 3 -Si-R 5 where R 4 may be the same or different alkyl radical selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl radicals and R 5 is selected from alkyl radicals having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl radicals or alkyl substituted aryl radicals having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and a functional organosilane of Formula (V) as: (V)   (OR 6 ) 3 -Si-(CH 2 ) y -Y wherein R 6 is the same or different alkyl radicals selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl radicals, y is an integer of from 1 to 12, and Y is selected from primary amino, mercapto, epoxide, thiocyanato, vinyl, methacrylate, ureido, isocyanato and ethylene diamine radicals.

Claim 4

The method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that said elastomer is at least one elastomer (A).

Claim 5

The method of any of preceding claims 1-3 characterized in that said elastomer is at least one elastomer (B) and wherein elastomer (B) has a general formula (I) of: (I)   elastomer-X-(OR) n wherein X is selected from silicon, titanium, aluminum and boron, R is selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isobutyl radicals, and n is 3 for silicon and titanium and is 2 for aluminum and boron, and wherein said elastomer is selected from at least one of homopolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated dienes, and copolymers of at least one conjugated diene with a vinyl aromatic compound, selected from styrene and alpha-methylstyrene.

Claim 8

The method of any of preceding claims 5 and 6 characterized in that said elastomer (B) is selected from at least one of homopolymers and copolymers of 1,3-butadiene and isoprene and copolymers of 1,3-butadiene and/or isoprene with styrene and where said end functionalization is an alkoxysilane wherein the alkyl radicals of said alkoxysilane are selected from at least one of ethyl, methyl, n-propyl and isopropyl radicals and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that said filler precursor is precursor (IIA).

Claim 12

The method of any of preceding claims 1-8 characterized in that said filler precursor is precursor (IIB).

Claim 15

The method of any preceding claims 1-8 characterized in that said filler precursor is precursor (IIC).

Claim 18

The method of any of the preceding claim characterized in that said organosilane is an organopolysulfide material (III) and where Z is Z3 and the alkyl radicals of R 3 are selected from ethyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isobutyl radicals.

Claim 21

The method of claims 18 characterized in that the organosilane polysulfide (III) is selected from at least one of: 2,2'-bis(trimethoxysilylethyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(triethoxysilylpropyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bis(triethoxysilylethyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bis(tripropoxysilylethyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bi(tri-sec.butoxysilylethyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(tri-t-butoxyethyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(triethoxysilylethyl tolylene) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(trimethoxysilylethyl tolylene) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(triisopropoxypropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(trioctoxypropyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bis (2'-ethylhexoxysilylethyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bis(dimethoxy ethoxysilylethyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(methoxyethoxypropoxysilylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(methoxy dimethylsilylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(cyclohexoxy dimethylsilylpropyl) disulfide; 4,4'-bis(trimethoxysilylbutyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(trimethoxysilyl-3-methylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(tripropoxysilyl-3-methylpropyl)disulfide; 3,3'-bis(dimethoxy methylsilyl-3-ethylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(trimethoxysilyl-2-methylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis(dimethoxyphenylsilyl-2-methylpropyl) disulfide; 3,3'-bis (trimethoxysilylcyclohexyl) disulfide; 12,12'-bis (trimethoxysilyldodecyl) disulfide; 12,12'-bis (triethoxysilyldodecyl) disulfide; 18,18'-bis (trimethoxysilyloctadecyl) disulfide; 18,18'-bis (methoxydimethylsilyloctadecyl) disulfide; 2,2-'-bis (trimethoxysilyl-2-methylethyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bis (triethoxysilyl-2-methylethyl) disulfide; 2,2'-bis (tripropoxysilyl-2-methylethyl) disulfide; and 2,2'-bis(trioctoxysilyl-2-methylethyl) disulfide.

Claim 24

The method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that said organosilane is an alkyl alkoxy silane (IV) .

Claim 25

The method of any of preceding claims 1-17 characterized in that said organosilane is an alkyl alkoxy silane (IV) and wherein, for said alkyl alkoxy silane (IV), R 5 is an alkyl radical having from 8 to 18 carbon atoms.

Claim 27

The method of any of preceding claims 1-17 characterized in that said organosilane is a functional organosilane (V).

Claim 30

The method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that said elastomer (A) is selected from at least one of cis 1,4-polyisoprene, cis 1,4-polybutadiene, isoprene/butadiene copolymers, styrene/butadiene copolymers including emulsion polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene copolymers and organic solvent solution polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene copolymers, styrene/isoprene copolymers, 3,4-polyisoprene, trans 1,4-polybutadiene, styrene/isoprene/butadiene terpolymer, high vinyl polybutadiene having from 35 to 90 percent vinyl groups.

Claim 31

The method of any of preceding claims 1-29 characterized in that the elastomer component of elastomer (B) is an organic solvent polymerization prepared elastomer selected from at least one of cis 1,4-polyisoprene, cis 1,4-polybutadiene, isoprene/butadiene copolymers, styrene/butadiene styrene/butadiene copolymers including emulsion polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene copolymers and organic solvent solution polymerization prepared copolymers, styrene/isoprene copolymers, 3,4-polyisoprene, trans 1,4-polybutadiene and styrene/isoprene/butadiene terpolymers.

Claim 32

The method of any of preceding claims 1-29 characterized in that said tin coupled elastomer is the product of reacting at least one conjugated diene or by reacting styrene together with at least one conjugated diene; wherein said diene is selected from 1,3-butadiene and isoprene, in an organic solvent solution and in the presence of an organolithium based catalyst followed by reacting the live polymer with at least one compound having the formula: R 7 4-v SnX n , wherein n is an integer from 1 to and including 4, X is chlorine; and R 7 is an alkyl radical selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl radicals.

Claim 33

The method of any preceding claims characterized in that said filler precursor is at least one material selected from tetraethoxy ortho silicate, titanium ethoxide, titanium n-propoxide, aluminum tri-sec butoxide, zirconium t-butoxide, zirconium n-butoxide, tetra-n-propoxy zirconium and boron ethoxide, methyl triethoxy silicate and dimethyl diethoxy silicate, di-s-butoxyaluminoxy triethoxysilane and hexaethoxydisiloxane, bis(triethoxysilyl)methane and bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane.

Claim 35

The method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that said condensation promoter is selected from (a) basic promoters, (b) acidic promoters, (c) metal oxide and metal salt promoters, and (d) organotin compound promoters.

Claim 36

The method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that said condensation promoter is selected from at least one of ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, N-butylamine, terbutylamine, tetrahydrofuran (THF), sodium fluoride, pentaethylene hexamine, diaminopropane, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, poly(allylaminehydrochloride), poly(L-lysine hydrobromide), poly(L-arginine hydrochloride), poly(L-histidine hydrochloride), phosphoric acid, acetic acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc sulfate, aluminum sulfate, zinc stearate, aluminum stearate, bis(2-ethylhexanoate) tin and bis(neodecanoate) tin.