Inhomogeneous silicas for elastomer compounds

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a silica with an inhomogeneous structure and a manufacturing process thereof.

2. Discussion of the Background

Easily dispersible silicas are manufactured by precipitating water glass with sulfuric acid and subsequent drying as described in EP 0 901 986 and EP 0647 591. The dried products are then ground and/or granulated.

Any silica can be manufactured dust-free by mechanical granulation. However, generally this additional process stage reduces the level of dispersibility.

In another process, silicas are also manufactured by acidic precipitation. However, these are dried by means of atomization in hot air and, at the same time, formed into easily destructible spheres. For instance, EP 018 866 describes the manufacture of spray-dried silica with an average particle diameter of more than 80 μm, where the particles have a homogeneous structure and are solid.

Spray-dried silicas are particularly suitable as fillers, as they are very easily dispersible. The dispersibility is a very important criterion for the processing of the silica, as a homogeneous and rapid intermingling in the respective matrix has a high economic significance. In addition to dispersibility, the specific surface areas (BET, CTAB) and the oil absorption capacity (DBP) are important characteristics.

However, not all silicas can be manufactured dust-free by spray drying. Generally, no one type of silica is able to fulfill all the required criteria. A mixture of several types of silica can only be manufactured with a high degree of dust due to the above-mentioned high degree of dispersibility (i.e. low mechanical stability).

It is therefore desirable to manufacture a silica that covers a wide range of properties such as BET and CTAB surface area with a high degree of dispersibility but with a low dust concentration. As explained above, this cannot be achieved for all silicas through spray drying or granulation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a silica having large BET and CTAB surface areas and a high degree of dispersibility combined with a low dust concentration.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for the manufacture of such silica.

These and other objects have been achieved by the present invention, the first embodiment of which includes a silica, comprising:

at least two silica fractions;

wherein at least two silica fractions differ by at least 10% in at least one measured value for a BET surface area, a CTAB surface area and a DBP absorption.

Another embodiment includes a process for manufacturing a silica containing at least two silica fractions, comprising:

mixing at least two silica fractions which differ by at least 10% in at least one measured value for a BET surface area, a CTAB surface area and a DBP absorption.

It was surprisingly discovered that silica with an inhomogeneous structure can be easily adapted to suit the specific requirements of large BET and CTAB surface areas and still demonstrate a good degree of dispersibility.

Subject of the present invention is therefore a silica containing at least two silica fractions which differ in at least one measured value for a BET surface area, a CTAB surface 25 area and a DBP absorption by at least 10%.

The silica that is the subject of the present invention is therefore particularly suitable as a filler in an article made of an elastomer compound, such as a tire.

The structure of the silica consisting of at least two silica fractions causes the silica to become inhomogeneous, which is reflected in a particularly good degree of dispersibility and a low concentration of fine particles.

The silica according to the present invention has a fine particle concentration of no more than 10%, preferably no more than 5% and most preferably no more than 2.5%, with an average particle diameter of 63 μm or less, preferably 60 μm or less and most preferably 55 μm or less (Alpine screen residue).

A similar concept is described in EP 0 942 029. In this case, rubber compositions are described that contain precipitated silicas with two different aggregate sizes. The different aggregate sizes are used to facilitate easy dispersibility of the silicas in the rubber compound.

However, the different silica fractions in the present invention are not described. Besides, a different aggregate size of the silica fractions in this case is of subordinate importance. What is important are the differences in properties, such as BET and CTAB surface areas and DBP absorption.

“Silica fractions” within the meaning of the present invention are used to describe various types of silica, which, due to different manufacturing processes or variants, exhibit a difference of at least 10% in at least one of the above-mentioned properties. Preferably two, particularly preferably three of these parameters exhibit such a difference.

The differences in the above parameters can be obtained through different manufacturing processes for the silica fractions. For instance, all, one, or several of the silica fractions can be precipitated silica and/or fumed silica. In the case of precipitated silica, it is particularly possible to obtain different silica fractions through different precipitation processes. Silica according to the present invention can also be manufactured from fractions of precipitated silica and fumed silica.

Various precipitation methods are known for precipitated silica and are described, for example, in EP 0 901 986, EP 0 937 755, EP 0 643 015, or EP 0 647 591. In these examples, two precipitated silicas from different manufacturing processes are processed into inhomogeneous silica according to the present invention. It is also possible to combine hydrophobized silica fractions with untreated silica fractions to create a silica according to the present invention.

The silica fractions can be precipitated silica or fumed silica. The fractions can also be mixed during the different process stages that are usually carried out during the manufacture of silica.

When fractions of precipitated silica are used, after the silicate has been precipitated with an acid (as a rule, water glass, i.e. sodium silicate with sulfuric acid), the mixture can be produced by mixing the precipitation suspensions or the filter cakes obtained after the suspensions have been filtered or by mixing the re-suspended filter cakes. It is also possible to add previously manufactured, dried or hydrophobized silica fractions as a solid substance to the suspension.

The thus obtained compounds must be filtered off and dried in the usual manner.

Drying can occur, for example, in a spray drier, a jet drier, a rack drier, a rotary drier, or a spin-flash drier.

After the drying process it is possible to grind and/or granulate the mixture.

It is also possible to mix the silica fractions in a dry state. In this case they can be re-suspended with the above-mentioned subsequent drying stages and/or grinding/granulation.

Silica according to the present invention can exhibit the following properties:

a BET surface area of 80-300 m 2 /g, preferably 80-230 m 2 /g;

a CTAB surface area of 80-300 m 2 /g, preferably 80-230 m 2 /g; and

a DBP absorption of 150-350 g/100 g, preferably 200-300 g/100 g.

These data refer to the silica according to the present invention as such and not to the silica fractions.

As described, the above properties of the silica fractions must differ by at least 10%, preferably at least 15%, particularly preferably at least 20%.

The above properties are determined by the following methods:

A further subject of the present invention is a process for the manufacture of a silica containing at least two silica fractions that differ by at least 10% in at least one measured value for a BET surface area, CTAB surface area and a DBP absorption. In this process the silica fractions are mixed with one another.

The amounts of the respective fractions in the suspension or, respectively, in the silica are between 5 and 95% by weight based on the dry silica. The amount of each fraction in the suspension includes 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90% by weight based on the dry silica.

The silica is preferably obtained in particle form with an average diameter of more than 80, preferably more than 100, particularly preferably more than 200 μm, for example, by spray drying. Spray drying the suspension can, for example, be carried out according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,771.

The silica according to the present invention can therefore be used as a filler in an elastomer compound, especially if that elastomer compound is used for tires.

The silica according to the present invention can also be used in all application areas where silicas are normally used, such as in a battery separator, in an anti-blocking agent, in a matting agent in paint, in a paper coating and in a defoaming agent.

A further subject of the invention is an elastomer compound containing the silica according to the present invention.

The silica according to the present invention or the silica fractions can be hydrophobized with a silane and can be modified especially with an organosilane of the formulae I-III,

[R 1 n —(RO) 3-n Si(Alk) m —(Ar) p ] q [B]  (I)

R 1 n —(RO) 3-n Si-(alkyl)  (II)

R 1 n —(RO) 3-n Si-(alkenyl)  (III),

where the symbols stand for the following:

The modification with organosilanes can be carried out in mixtures of 0.5 to 50 parts organosilane based on 100 parts silica or silica fraction, in particular 2 to 15 parts of organosilane based on 100 parts silica or silica fraction. The amount of organosilane includes all values and subvalues therebetween, especially including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 parts based on 100 parts silica or silica fraction. In this case the reaction between the silica or silica fractions and silane can be carried out during the production of the mixture (in situ) or separately (premodified).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfane can be used as a silane.

The silica according to the present invention can be incorporated into an elastomer compound or a vulcanizable rubber compound as a reinforcing filler in quantities of 5 to 200 parts based on 100 parts of rubber; as a powder, microbeads or granules either with or without silane modification. The quantity of the filler includes all values and subvalues therebetween, especially including 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 parts based on 100 parts of rubber.

One or more of the above-mentioned silanes can be added to an elastomer together with the silica according to the present invention. In this case the reaction between the filler and the silane during the mixing process proceeds at a high temperature (in-situ modification) or using a previously premodified form (for example, DE-PS 40 04 781). In other words, both reaction partners react separately from the actual production of the mixture.

The elastomer can contain compounds which contain solely a silica according to the present invention, which is unmodified or modified with organosilane according to formulae I to III as a filler. In addition, the elastomer can also be filled with one or more, more or less reinforcing fillers. A blend of carbon blacks (for example furnace, gas, or acetylene blacks or lampblack) with the silica according to the present invention is preferable, wherein the silica is unmodified or modified with silane. A blend of natural fillers, such as clays, siliceous chalk, or other commercial silica, with the silica according to the present invention is also preferred.

The blend ratio in this case depends on the required properties of the finished rubber mixture. The amount of silicas according to the present invention may be 5-95% based on the total amount of fillers.

In addition to the silica according to the present invention, the organosilanes and other fillers, the elastomers form a further important component of the rubber mixture. The silica according to the present invention can be used in all types of rubber with accelerators/sulfur as well as in peroxidic vulcanizable rubber types. Preferred are elastomers which are natural and synthetic, oil-extended or not, as a single polymer or a blend with other rubbers such as natural rubbers, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene-styrene-rubber, especially SBR, manufactured by means of the solvent polymerization process, butadiene acrylonitrile rubbers, butyl rubbers, terpolymers of ethylene, propylene and non-conjugated dienes. The following additional rubbers are preferably mixed with the above-mentioned rubbers: a carboxylic rubber, an epoxide rubber, a trans-polypentenamer, a halogenized butyl rubber, a rubber from 2-chlorine-butadiene, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, an ethylene-propylene-copolymer, if required, also a derivative of natural rubber as well as a modified natural rubber.

Further additives in their usual dosages may be used, such as a plasticizer, a stabilizer, an activator, a pigment, an antioxidant, and an auxiliary processing agent.

The silica according to the present invention, unmodified or modified with silane, is used in all rubber applications, such as tires, conveyor belts, seals, V-belts, hoses, shoe soles, etc.

A further subject of the invention is an elastomer compound, in particular a vulcanizable rubber compound, which contains silica according to the present invention in quantities of 5 to 200 parts based on 100 parts elastomer or, respectively, rubber. The quantity of silica includes all values and subvalues therebetween, especially including 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 parts based on 100 parts elastomer or rubber. The incorporation of the silica and the manufacture of the compounds containing the silica are carried out in the way usually practiced in the rubber industry in a kneader or in a mill. The silica can be added as a powder, as microbeads or as granules.

Having generally described this invention, a further understanding can be obtained by reference to certain specific examples which are provided herein for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified.

Determining the Alpine Screen Residue

In order to determine the screen residue, the silica or silicate sample was screened through a 500 μm screen to destroy any existing de-airing agglomerate. Next, 10 g of the screened sample were placed on the air-draft screen, which had been fitted with a 63 μm screen mesh, and screened with a 200 mm water column vacuum. Silica or silicate particles that settle on the screen top of the device were knocked off by carefully tapping on the handle of the screen top. As a rule, the screening process took 5 minutes. It was complete when the residue remained constant, this could generally be seen by its flowable appearance. To make sure, the screening process was continued for another minute.

If agglomerates formed, the screening process was interrupted for a short period and the agglomerate was destroyed with a brush using a slight degree of pressure. After the screening process, the screen residue was carefully knocked off the air-jet screen and weighed. The screen residue is given in percent, always in connection with the mesh size of the screen.

Calculation %     screen     residue = A × 100 E

A=Weight of sample after screening in g

E=Weight of sample before screening in g

Equipment

Alpine air-draft screen, laboratory type S 200

Vacuum cleaner or blower

Air-draft screen with mesh size 63 μm according to DIN 4188

Laboratory balance

The following examples are intended to explain the invention in more detail, without limiting it to these examples.

Two silica fractions, A and B, were prepared; A according to EP 0 901 986 and B according to U.S. Pat. No. 1,043,282 and the suspensions obtained from the precipitation processes were converted further in the following way.