Nanoparticle fillers and methods of mixing into elastomers
AssigneeBridgestone Corporation
InventorsWilliam L. Hergenrother, Waruna C. B. Kiridena, James H. Pawlow, James D. Ulmer, Christopher G. Robertson, Michael Davis
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Abstract
A nanoparticle includes a copolymer comprising a vinyl-aromatic monomer and a heterocyclic monomer. The copolymer is crosslinked with a multifunctional crosslinking agent polymerizable through an addition reaction. A nanoparticle and elastomer composition is disclosed. Several methods of mixing heterocyclic and non-heterocyclic monomer nanoparticles into an elastomer are also disclosed. These methods include mixing in a multi-elements static mixer and an intermeshing mixer with venting, among others.
Claims12
A method for making a composition, the steps of which comprise:
- mixing a first elastomer and a nanoparticle latex that comprises polymerized mono-vinyl aromatic monomer contributed units crosslinked with a multifunctional crosslinking agent that is polymerizable through an addition reaction;
- wherein either the first elastomer is a dry elastomer, or mixing an additional elastomer that is dry and that is the same or different as the first elastomer;
- wherein the nanoparticles are present in a volume fraction of the composition of about 0.02 to about 0.50.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.