Elastomer composite blends are produced by novel wet/dry mixing methods and apparatus. In the wet mixing step or stage, fluid streams of particulate filler and elastomer latex are fed to the mixing zone of a coagulum reactor to form a mixture in semi-confined flow continuously from the mixing zone through a coagulum zone to a discharge end of the reactor. The particulate filler fluid is fed under high pressure to the mixing zone, such as to form a jet stream to entrain elastomer latex fluid sufficiently energetically to substantially completely coagulate the elastomer with the particulate filler prior to the discharge end. Highly efficient and effective elastomer coagulation is achieved without the need for a coagulation step involving exposure to acid or salt solution or the like. Elastomer composites are produced. Such elastomer composites may be cured or uncured, and combine material properties, such as choice of filler, elastomer, level of filler loading, and macro-dispersion, not previously achieved. The coagulum produced by such wet mixing step, with or without intermediate processing steps, is then mixed with additional elastomer in a dry mixing step or stage to form elastomer composite blends. The additional elastomer to the coagulum may be the same as or different from the elastomer(s) used in the wet mixing step.

Elastomer composite blends and methods for producing them

The invention relates to a rubber composition for tyres, comprising at least a diene elastomer, an inorganic reinforcing filler, and a coupling agent linking the inorganic filler and the diene elastomer. The composition is characterised in that the coupling agent is an azo-silane compound having formula (I) (G1)3-a(G2)aSi-Z-NH-C(0)-N=N-C(0)-NH-Z-Si(G1)3-a(G2)a, wherein: - G1, which may be identical or different, each represent a monovalent hydrocarbon group selected from among optionally substituted, linear or branched alkyls having between 1 and 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyls or aryls, optionally substituted, having between 5 and 18 carbon atoms; - G2, which may be identical or different, each represent a hydroxyl group or a monovalent group taking the form (G3)n-OG1, in which G3 is a divalent linking group comprising between 1 and 18 carbon atoms and containing one or more heteroatoms selected from among O, S, Si and N, and n is a number greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 18; - Z represents a divalent linking group comprising between 1 and 18 carbon atoms; and - a is equal to 1, 2 or 3.

Rubber tyre composition comprising an azo-silane coupling agent

Elastomer composites are produced by novel continuous flow methods and apparatus in which fluid streams of particulate filler and elastomer latex are fed to the mixing zone of a coagulum reactor to form a mixture in semi-confined flow continuously from the mixing zone through a coagulum zone to a discharge end of the reactor. The particulate filler fluid is fed under high pressure to the mixing zone, such as to form a jet stream to entrain elastomer latex fluid sufficiently energetically to substantially completely coagulate the elastomer with the particulate filler prior to the discharge end. Highly efficient and effective elastomer coagulation is achieved without the need for a coagulation step involving exposure to acid or salt solution or the like. Novel elastomer composites are produced. Such novel elastomer composites may be cured or uncured, and combine material properties, such as choice of filler, elastomer, level of filler loading, and macro-dispersion, not previously achieved.

Elastomer composites, method and apparatus

The present invention relates to an aqueous adhesive composition, comprising at least A) a phenol-aldehyde resin and B) an unsaturated elastomer latex, characterised in that the base of the phenol-aldehyde consists of at least: an aromatic polyaldehyde bearing at least two aldehyde functions that comprise at least one aromatic ring; a polyphenol comprising one or more aromatic ring(s), it being understood that: in the case of a single aromatic ring, said ring bears two or three hydroxyl functions in meta position relative to each other, the rest of the ring being unsubstituted; in the case of multiple aromatic rings, at least two of said rings each bear two or three hydroxyl functions in meta position relative to each other, it being understood that the two ortho positions of at least one of these hydroxyl functions are unsubstituted. Such an adhesive composition is usable particularly to enable adhesion between a textile material and a crosslinkable rubber composition, and is an advantageous alternative to using a formaldehyde-based RFL adhesive.

Aqueous adhesive composition based on polyaldehyde and polyphenol

The invention relates to an elastomer mixture resulting from the modification of a diene elastomer by a coupling agent that inserts an alkoxysilane bearing a tertiary or secondary amine function into the elastomer chain. The mixture mainly comprises a diene elastomer coupled by the alkoxysilane group bearing a tertiary or secondary amine function bonded to the diene elastomer via the silicon atom. The invention also relates to a reinforced rubber composition which can be used in particular to make tyres and which comprises a reinforcing filler as well as an elastomer matrix including at least said elastomer mixture, and to a method for preparing same. The composition has improved hysteretic and mechanical properties in the vulcanised state and improved processability in the green state.

Elastomer mixture mainly comprising a diene elastomer coupled by an amino-alkoxysilane group, rubber composition including same and methods for obtaining same

Malcolm J. Andrews

Papers

Novel elastomer composites, method and apparatus