US 6,646,028 B2 · Rubber and carbon black

Abstract

A process is provided for making a carbon-filled rubber having a uniform dispersion of nanometric-sized carbon black particles. Fluffy carbon black is received as a slurry in water and added to latex rubber before or during coagulation in an emulsion styrene butadiene rubber plant, or fluffy carbon black is similarly incorporated in rubber using a different type of rubber-manufacturing process. A uniform dispersion of smaller-than-usual carbon black particles in rubber is formed, which provides a black masterbatch rubber with superior mechanical and rheological properties. Ash and grit is removed from the fluffy carbon black slurry, which further improves the properties of the carbon-filled rubber by reducing defects in the rubber caused by the ash or grit.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A process for making black masterbatch rubber, the black masterbatch rubber comprising rubber and carbon black, wherein the carbon black is made at a carbon black plant, the process comprising the steps of:

operating a rubber manufacturing plant capable of making rubber through a series of processing steps, the series of processing steps including steps for receiving and polymerizing one or more monomers;
receiving a fluffy carbon black stream from the carbon black plant, wherein the fluffy carbon black stream comprises from about 1 to about 50 weight percent fluffy carbon black slurried in a liquid or fluidized in a gas, and wherein the fluffy carbon black has not been densified, pelletized or agglomerated and has a bulk density of about 0.05 g/cc;
incorporating the fluffy carbon black into a step in the series of processing steps to make rubber containing carbon black;
and
processing the rubber containing carbon black to make black masterbatch rubber.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rubber and carbon black

Life of this patent

Rubber and carbon black

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35