United States Patent (19) (11) Patent Number: 4,996,263 Pyke Et Al
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United States Patent (19) (11) Patent Number: 4,996,263 Pyke et al. 45) Date of Patent: Feb. 26, 1991 (54) HIGH MODULUS RUBBER COMPOSITION FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: James B. Pyke, Akron; Richard G. 6049018 3/1985 Japan ................................... 52.5/181 Bauer, Kent; Martin P. Cohen; 6286.048 4/1987 Japan. Pawan K. Handa, both of Akron, all 6356514 3/1988 Japan ................................... 52.5/178 of Ohio OTHER PUBLICATIONS 73) Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Fourth International Conference on Reactive Process Company, Akron, Ohio ing of Polymers, Oct. 29-31, 1986, Gardner Student Center, University of Akron (see especially Hoshino on (21) Appl. No.: 253,839 pp. 22-27). Primary Examiner-Ana L. Carrillo (22 Filed: Oct. 6, 1988 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alvin T. Rockhill 51 Int. Cl. .............................................. C08 L 77/00 57 ABSTRACT 52) U.S. Cl. .................................... 525/178; 525/183; It is desirable to increase the modulus of rubbers utilized 525/184; 525/179 in a wide variety of applications. This invention dis 58) Field of Search ................ 525/178, 181, 183, 184 closes a technique for modifying rubbers to improve their modulus without sacrificing other properties. The (56) References Cited subject invention more specifically relates to a process U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS for preparing a rubber composition having a high mod ulus which comprises reacting maleic anhydride with at 4,535,119 5/1984 Tanibuchi et al. least one polydiene rubber and at least one nylon. 4,567,238 1/1986 Sasaki et al. ........................ 52.5/183 4,708,987 11/1987 Hergenrother et al. ... 525/184 4,777,211 10/1988 Lavengood et al. ................. 525/66 15 Claims, No Drawings 4,996,263 1. 2 carbon atoms. Some representative examples of suitable HIGH MODULUS RUBBER COMPOSITION diene monomers include 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 2,3- dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, 2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene, 3,4- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION dimethyl-1,3-hexadiene, 4,5-diethyl-1,3-octadiene, phe It is sometimes desirable to increase the modulus of 5 nyl-1,3-butadiene and the like. The polydiene rubber rubber compounds. For instance, it is generally desir can also contain various vinyl aromatic monomers, such able to increase the modulus of rubber compounds as styrene, 1-vinylnaphthalene, 2-vinylnaphthalene, which are utilized in tire tread base compositions and in a-methylstyrene, 4-phenylstyrene, 3-methylstyrene, tire wire coat compounds. A higher degree of stiffness and the like. Some representative examples of polydiene in such rubber compositions is conventionally attained 10 rubbers that can be modified by utilizing the procedure by incorporating larger amounts of fillers, such as car of this invention include polybutadiene, styrene-butadi bon black, into the rubber compounds and/or by in ene rubber (SBR), synthetic polyisoprene, natural rub creasing the state of cure of such compounds. Unfortu ber, isoprene-butadiene rubber, isoprene-butadiene-sty nately, both of these techniques lead to undesirable rene rubber, nitrile rubber, carboxylated nitrile rubber, results. For instance, the incorporation of additional 15 and EPDM rubber. The technique of this invention is carbon black into rubber compounds typically leads to particularly well suited for utilization in modifying nat high levels of hysteresis. Accordingly, the utilization of ural rubber, synthetic polyisoprene, and cis-1,4- such compounds in tires results in excessive heat build polybutadiene. up and poor cut growth characteristics. The utilization Virtually any type of nylon can be utilized in prepar of high amounts of sulfur to attain a high state of cure 20 ing the rubber compositions of this invention. These typically leads to poor aging resistance. Furthermore, it nylons are polyamides which can be prepared by react is highly impractical to reach high levels of stiffness by ing diamines with dicarboxylic acids. The diamines and increased state of cure alone. For these reasons, it is not dicarboxylic acids which are utilized in preparing such possible to attain the desired degree of stiffness in tire nylons will generally contain from about 2 to about 12 tread base compounds by simply adding higher levels of 25 carbon atoms. Nylons can also be prepared by addition fillers or curatives. polymerization. Nylon which is prepared by reacting SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION hexamethylene diamine with adipic acid (hexanedioic The subject invention discloses a technique for modi acid) can be utilized in the process of this invention. It fying a rubber so as to greatly increase its modulus. This 30 is generally referred to as nylon-6,6 because it is derived results in the rubber being better suited for applications from a diamine which contains 6 carbon atoms and a where a high degree of stiffness is desirable. However, dicarboxylic acid which contains 6 carbon atoms. Ny this modification procedure does not generally sacrifice lon-6,6 typically has a number average molecular other desirable characteristics of the rubber. For in weight of 12,000 to 20,000, is exceptionally strong, abra stance, the rubber compositions of this invention have 35 sion resistant, and available from a wide variety of an increased modulus but do not have an increased SOCS degree of hysteresis. The nylons which are preferred for utilization in the The rubber compositions of this invention are pre process of this invention have melting points which are pared by grafting nylon onto the rubber. This is done by within the range of about 150 C. to about 255 C. Some reacting maleic anhydride with the rubber and at least representative examples of such preferred nylons in one nylon. This procedure grafts polymer chains which clude nylon-6,6, nylon-6, nylon-7, nylon-8, nylon-9, are comprised of nylon onto the polymer chains of the nylon-10, nylon-11, nylon-12 and nylon-6,12. The most rubber. preferred nylons have melting points which are within The subject invention specifically discloses a process the range of about 175' C. to about 210 C. Some repre for preparing a rubber composition having a high mod sentative examples of such highly preferred nylons in ulus which comprises reacting maleic anhydride with at clude nylon-8, nylon-9, nylon-10, nylon-11 and nylon least one polydiene rubber and at least one nylon. In 12. most cases from about 2 phr to about 55 phr of nylon Polycapryllactam, which is generally referred to as will be utilized in the modification procedure. It is gen nylon-8, is generally prepared by polymerizing capryl erally preferred to react the rubber with the maleic 50 lactam. This polymerization takes place readily in the anhydride at a temperature which is within the range of melt with a small amount of amino acid initiator. Ca about 180 C. to about 200 C. to form a rubber/maleic prylactam is prepared by dimerization of butadiene to anhydride adduct and to subsequently react the rub cyclooctadiene, which is hydrogenated to cycloctane, ber/maleic anhydride adduct with the nylon at a tem oxidized to cycloctanone, converted to the oxime with perature which is at least as high as the melting point of 55 hydroxylamine, and subjected to the Beckmann rear the nylon. rangement. Nylon-8 has a melting point of 200 C. Poly(co-aminoundecanoic acid), known as nylon-11, DETALED DESCRIPTION OF THE can be prepared by the melt polymerization of co INVENTION aminoundecanoic acid under an inert gas atmosphere at The process of this invention can be utilized to mod 60 a temperature of about 215 C. Nylon-11 has a melting ify virtually any type of rubbery elastomer which con point of 190° C. tains double bonds. The rubbers which are modified in Nylon-12 or poly(a)-dodecanolactam) is normally accordance with this invention typically contain repeat prepared by the polymerization of co-dodecanolactam at units which are derived from diene monomers, such as a high temperature of at least about 300° C. utilizing an conjugated diene monomers and/or nonconjugated 65 acid catalyst, c)-dodecanolactam is prepared by trimeri diene monomers. Such conjugated and nonconjugated zation of butadiene to cyclododecatriene, the subse diene monomers typically contain from 4 to about 12 quent hydrogenation to cyclododecane, followed by carbon atoms and preferably contain from 4 to about 8 oxidation to cyclododecanone, which is converted to 4,996,263 3 the oxime with hydroxylamine, with the oxime being rearranged by Beckmann rearrangement to yield the H ad-dodecanolactam. Nylon-12 has a melting point of 179' C. and is very highly preferred for use as the nylon R--CH=CH-R in the process of this invention. The nylons used in the process of this invention will typically have number average molecular weight which is within the range of about 8,000 to about 40,000. Such nylons will more typically have number average molec ular weights which are within the range of about 10,000 O to about 25,000. The nylon utilized can be capped or wherein two nylon chains are grafted onto the rubber can have free primary amine end groups. However, by only one maleic anhydride molecule. nylons having free amine end groups are believed to The modification procedure of this invention can be react more quickly with maleic anhydride and are ac carried out utilizing several satisfactory techniques. For cordingly preferred. 15 instance, the maleic anhydride, nylon, and polydiene The modified rubber compositions of this invention rubber can be simultaneously mixed together and are prepared by simply reacting the maleic anhydride heated to graft the nylon onto the rubber. In another with the polydiene rubber and the nylon. This can be scenario, the maleic anhydride can be reacted with the accomplished by simply mixing the maleic anhydride rubber to produce a rubber/maleic anhydride adduct homogeneously throughout a blend of the polydiene 20 and the rubber/maleic anhydride adduct can then be rubber and the nylon and heating the maleic anhy subsequently reacted with the nylon to produce the dride/nylon/polydiene rubber blend.