# US 10,118,443 B2 · Expanded rubber articles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,443 B2 - Document ID: US10118443B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/320,922 - Filed: 2015-06-23 - Published: 2017-05-04 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-24 - Assignees: Gecko Rubber Limited - Applicants: Gecko Rubber Limited - Inventors: Richard Adams - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118443B2 ## CPC - B60C 1/00: Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition - B29C 44/027: {the foaming continuing or beginning when the mould is opened} - B29C 44/0461: {by having different chemical compositions in different places, e.g. having different concentrations of foaming agent, feeding one composition after the other} - B29C 44/083: {Increasing the size of the cavity after a first part has foamed, e.g. substituting one mould part with another} - B29D 30/02: Solid tyres {; Moulds therefor} - B29D 30/04: Resilient fillings for rubber tyres; Filling tyres therewith - B60C 7/102: {Tyres built-up with separate rubber parts} - B60C 7/105: {using foam material (B60C7/1015 takes precedence)} - C08J 3/244: {Stepwise homogeneous crosslinking of one polymer with one crosslinking system, e.g. partial curing} - C08J 5/124: {using adhesives based on a macromolecular component} - C08J 9/0061: {characterized by the use of several polymeric components} - C08J 9/0066: {Use of inorganic compounding ingredients} - C08J 9/10: developing nitrogen {, the blowing agent being a compound containing a nitrogen-to-nitrogen bond} - C08K 3/04: Carbon - C08K 3/346: {Clay} - C08L 7/00: Compositions of natural rubber - C08L 9/00: Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons - B29K 2009/06: SB polymers, i.e. butadiene-styrene polymers - B29K 2105/04: cellular or porous - B29K 2507/04: Carbon - B60C 11/02: Replaceable treads - B60C 2001/0091: {Compositions of non-inflatable or solid tyres} - B60C 2200/12: for bicycles - C08J 2201/026: Crosslinking before of after foaming - C08J 2201/03: Extrusion of the foamable blend - C08J 2203/04: N2 releasing, ex azodicarbonamide or nitroso compound - C08J 2307/00: Characterised by the use of natural rubber - C08J 2309/00: Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons - C08J 2309/06: Copolymers with styrene - C08J 2321/00: Characterised by the use of unspecified rubbers - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09) - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract Expanded rubber articles (11) and processes for making such, comprising: partially curing an expandable rubber formulation (2) by heating it in a first mold cavity (1) to form a molded blank (3); releasing the molded blank (3) from the first mold cavity (1) and allowing the molded blank (5) to expand to form an expanded molded blank (4); and further curing and expanding the expanded molded blank (4) by heating it to form the expanded rubber article (11) comprising an expanded rubber part (6), wherein the expanded molded blank (4) is heated in a second mold cavity (5). Optionally, the expanded molded blank (4) is contacted with a further rubber formulation (7) and a substrate comprising a base material (9) and an elastomer bonding layer (8) in the second mold cavity (5) to form an expanded rubber article additionally comprising a solid rubber part (10) and a substrate (8, 9). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for making an expanded rubber article, wherein the expanded rubber article is a moulded tyre, the process comprising: a) a moulded blank formation step, in which an expandable rubber formulation, comprising an elastomeric material, a curing agent and an expansion agent, is heated in a first mould cavity to partially cure the expandable rubber formulation thereby forming a moulded blank, wherein the first mould cavity confines expansion of the expandable rubber formulation; b) a releasing step, in which the moulded blank is released from the first mould cavity, and in which the moulded blank expands to a volume larger than the volume of the first mould cavity thereby forming an expanded moulded blank; and, c) a further curing step, in which the expanded moulded blank is heated to further cure and expand the expandable rubber formulation thereby forming the expanded rubber article; wherein the expanded moulded blank is heated in a second mould cavity in further curing step (c). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material comprises one or more rubber polymers selected from the group consisting of styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber and natural rubber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the moulded tyre is a bicycle tyre. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 additionally comprising: d) a stabilisation step, in which the expanded moulded blank is left to stabilise for a period sufficient that the volume of the expanded moulded blank is substantially constant; wherein the stabilisation step (d) is carried out before the additional curing step (c). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process according to claim 4, wherein the expanded moulded blank is left to stabilise for a period of at least 24 hours. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 additionally comprising: e) a surface preparation step, in which at least part of a surface of the expanded moulded blank is removed; wherein the surface preparation step (e) is carried out after the releasing step (b) and before the further curing step (c). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 additionally comprising an extrusion step, in which the expandable rubber formulation is extruded to form an expandable rubber formulation extrudate prior to the moulded blank formation step (a). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the expanded moulded blank is contacted with an additional rubber formulation during the moulded blank formation step (a), the additional rubber formulation comprising an elastomeric material and a curing agent, wherein the additional rubber formulation is partially cured with the expandable rubber formulation during the moulded blank formation step (a) to provide a moulded blank comprising a partially cured and expanded rubber part bound to a partially cured additional rubber part, and wherein the rubber of the partially cured additional rubber part is a solid rubber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein process comprises an extrusion step in which the expandable rubber formulation and the additional rubber formulation are coextruded prior to the moulded blank formation step (a). ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein the elastomeric material of the additional rubber formulation is the same as the elastomeric material of the expandable rubber formulation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein the additional rubber part forms a tread of the moulded tyre. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the expanded moulded blank is contacted with an additional rubber formulation during the further curing step (c), the additional rubber formulation comprising an elastomeric material and a curing agent, wherein the additional rubber formulation is at least partially cured during the further curing step (c) to provide an expanded rubber article comprising an additional rubber part bound to an expanded rubber part, and wherein the rubber of the additional rubber part is a solid rubber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The process according to claim 11, wherein the additional rubber part forms a tread of the moulded tyre. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein a substrate is present in or forms part of the second mould cavity during the further curing step (c). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process according to claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises a base material at least partially coated with an elastomer bonding agent, and wherein at least part of the additional rubber formulation is contacted with the elastomer bonding agent during the further curing step (c), the elastomeric bonding agent being at least partially cured during the further curing step (c) to form an elastomeric bonding layer adhered to at least part of the solid rubber part. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the expandable rubber formulation comprises ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and, optionally, a peroxide cure system.