Compounding heat cured rubber compositions
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsStephen Dong, Devesh Mathur, Robert Dean
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Filler, processing fluid and silicone polymer are controllably compounded into homogeneous filled heat cured rubber compositions with requisite reinforcing properties and levels of volatiles. In the process, a continuous feed of a silicone polymer to a compounding apparatus is monitored and a signal is generated in accordance with the monitored rate of feed. Rate of feed of filler and additives to the compounding apparatus are then adjusted in accordance with the signal.
Claims19
A process of compounding an heat cured rubber composition, comprising:
- monitoring a continuous strip form feed of a silicone polymer directly to a compounding apparatus;
- generating a signal in accordance with said monitored rate of feed;
- and
- adjusting a rate of feed of filler or additive to said compounding apparatus in accordance with said signal.
A process of compounding an heat cured rubber composition, comprising:
- continuously feeding a silicone polymer in strip form by means of a weighing belt directly to a compounding apparatus;
- and
- compounding said silicone polymer with filler and additives in said apparatus to form said heat cured rubber composition.
A process of controlling compounding of a heat cured rubber composition, comprising steps of;
- separately sensing each of a rate of feed of silicone polymer, rate of feed of a filler and rate of feed of an additive to a compounding apparatus;
- comparing each of said sensed rates of feed to a model of rates of feed for compounding a target heat cured rubber composition;
- and
- adjusting at least one of said rates of feed according to said comparing step.
An apparatus for compounding an heat cured rubber composition, comprising:
- a controllable weighing belt silicone polymer feeder directly connected to an extruder and controllable filler feeder connected to the extruder;
- a signal generator associated with each of said silicone polymer feeder and said filler feeder to produce a signal proportionate to a feed rate of polymer and a signal proportionate to a feed rate of filler;
- and
- a controller to receive said signals, to compare said signals to a model of feed rates and to emit a signal to adjust said feed rate of polymer, filler or both according to said comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.