Preparation of nanocomposite of elastomer and exfoliated clay platelets, rubber compositions comprised of said nanocomposite and articles of manufacture, including tires

• Main Authors: GURER CIGDEM, CRONIN STEVEN WAYNE, FRANCIK WILLIAM PAUL, SENYEK MICHAEL LESLIE, COHEN MARTIN PAUL, YANG XIAOPING, LUKICH LEWIS TIMOTHY, PARKER DANE KENTON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.03.2008
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; REPAIRING, OR CONNECTING VALVES TO, INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIESIN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; TYRE CHANGING OR REPAIRING; TYRE INFLATION; USE OF INORGANIC OR NON-MACROMOLECULAR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES ASCOMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS; VEHICLE TYRES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WORKING-UP

This invention relates to preparation of nanocomposites comprised of elastomer and a dispersion of an at least partially exfoliated water swellable clay and to rubber compositions containing such nanocomposite and articles of manufacture which contain at least one component thereof. The nanocomposite is prepared by addition of a water suspension of water swellable clay particles to an anionic aqueous emulsion of elastomer particles to form a mixture to which an amine having at least two amine centers is added to intercalate and at least partially exfoliate the water swelled clay particles by an ion exchange within the galleries of the multilayered clay with cation exchangeable ion(s) and to aid in coagulating the elastomer and resultant clay particles to form said nanocomposite.