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US 12,104,098 B2Granted
Self-sealing tires
AssigneeDow Silicones Corporation
InventorsFrederic Gubbels, Gregory Chambard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to self-sealing tires, a process for making said self-sealing tires and the use of a silicone composition cured via a condensation cure chemistry to form a self-sealing layer designed to function as both (i) a self-sealing tire puncture material, i.e., to seal puncture holes in the tread region of tires if/when punctured by a foreign body and (ii) as an adhesive for sound-absorbing foams adapted to reduce the noise generated by tires during travel.
Claims16
A self-sealing pneumatic tire comprising:
- an inner surface and an outer surface having a profiled tread;
- a self-sealing silicone layer applied on the inner surface;
- and
- a sound-absorbing layer adhesively attached to the inner surface by way of the self-sealing silicone layer;
- wherein the self-sealing silicone layer is applied before the sound-absorbing layer is adhered thereto;
- wherein the self-sealing silicone layer is cured from a silicone self-sealing composition, the silicone self-sealing composition comprising:
- (i) at least one condensation curable silyl terminated polymer having at least two hydroxyl functional groups per molecule;
- (ii) a cross-linker selected from the group consisting of:
- silanes having at least two hydrolysable groups, optionally at least three hydrolysable groups per molecule group;
- silyl functional molecules having at least two silyl groups, each silyl group containing at least two hydrolysable groups, optionally at least three hydrolysable groups;
- and combinations thereof;
- (iii) a condensation catalyst selected from the group consisting of titanates, zirconates, and combinations thereof;
- and
- (iv) reinforcing and/or non-reinforcing filler(s);
- wherein components (iii) and (iv) are not stored together prior to use;
- wherein the molar ratio of total silicon bonded-hydroxyl groups to total hydrolysable groups is between 0.5:1 and 2:1 using a silane cross-linker, or 0.5:1 to 10:1 using a silyl functional molecule cross-linker;
- wherein the titanates and zirconates comprise M-OR functions, where M is titanium or zirconium and R is an alkyl group or chelate group;
- and
- wherein the molar ratio of M-OR functions of the catalyst (iii) to the sum of moisture present in the filler(s) (iv), as determined in accordance with ISO 787-2:1981, and total silicon bonded hydroxyl groups is between 0.01:1 and 0.6:1:
- and
- wherein component (ii) is present in the composition in an amount of from 1.0 wt. % to 10.0 wt. %;
- and
- wherein upon cure, the composition provides a self-adhering silicone-based product having an absolute tackiness of>1.025, where absolute tackiness=−[tackiness strength (F−)]/[hardness strength (F+)].
20 more elements
A process for preparing a self-sealing pneumatic tire, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a pneumatic tire comprising an outer surface having a profiled tread and an inner surface;
- (b) applying a self-sealing silicone layer on the inner surface;
- and
- (c) applying a sound-absorbing layer to the inner surface by adhesion to the self-sealing silicone layer;
- wherein the self-sealing silicone layer is cured from a silicone self-sealing composition, the silicone self-sealing composition comprising:
- (i) at least one condensation curable silyl terminated polymer having at least two hydroxyl functional groups per molecule;
- (ii) a cross-linker selected from the group consisting of:
- silanes having at least two hydrolysable groups, optionally at least three hydrolysable groups per molecule group;
- silyl functional molecules having at least two silyl groups, each silyl group containing at least two hydrolysable groups, optionally at least three hydrolysable groups;
- and combinations thereof;
- (iii) a condensation catalyst selected from the group consisting of titanates, zirconates, and combinations thereof;
- and
- (iv) reinforcing and/or non-reinforcing filler(s);
- wherein components (iii) and (iv) are not stored together prior to use;
- wherein the molar ratio of total silicon bonded-hydroxyl groups to total hydrolysable groups is between 0.5:1 and 2:1 using a silane cross-linker, or 0.5:1 to 10:1 using a silyl functional molecule cross-linker;
- wherein the titanates and zirconates comprise M-OR functions, where M is titanium or zirconium and R is an alkyl group or chelate group;
- and
- wherein the molar ratio of M-OR functions of the catalyst (iii) to the sum of moisture present in the filler(s) (iv), as determined in accordance with ISO 787-2:1981, and total silicon bonded hydroxyl groups is between 0.01:1 and 0.6:1;
- and
- wherein component (ii) is present in the composition in an amount of from 1.0 wt. % to 10.0 wt. %;
- and
- wherein upon cure, the composition provides a self-adhering silicone-based product having an absolute tackiness of>1.025, where absolute tackiness=−[tackiness strength (F−)]/[hardness strength (F+)].
19 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.