SBIR Phase I: Molecular Composites of Functional Silica Networks within Natural Rubber Compounds for Green Tires

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过开发一种用于低滚动阻力轮胎胎面橡胶化合物应用的新型破坏性可再生材料来进一步发展可持续交通。该公司不仅将积极参与材料开发和销售，还将积极探索节能可再生材料的新的和有价值的应用领域。最初的目标应用领域是目前使用石油衍生材料的轮胎的低滚动阻力胎面胶中使用的材料，这是一个价值5 B美元的市场。该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将致力于支持在低滚动阻力轮胎应用中使用可再生弹性体的关键使能技术的技术可行性。具体而言，该创新将专注于使用新型功能性二氧化硅基材料对天然橡胶进行胶乳相纳米级增强。技术障碍包括将该技术从聚四氟乙烯纳米乳液薄膜的旋涂转化为由天然橡胶胶乳形成散装固体。这些都是重大的挑战，因为形成机制，所需的官能团和最终用途的性能要求是显着不同的。具体的挑战包括创造新的功能性二氧化硅基材料;材料在天然橡胶（NR）胶乳中的均匀分散;材料与NR胶乳颗粒表面的磷脂之间的相互作用;功能化的化学和浓度;所得复合聚合物及其微观结构的表征;该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识产权进行评估，被认为值得支持。优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable the further development of sustainable mobility by developing a new, disruptive class of renewable materials for low-rolling resistance tire tread rubber compound applications. The company will be active not only in materials development and sales, but also in the exploration of new and valuable application areas for energy-efficient renewable materials. The initial target application area is the material used in low-rolling resistance tread compounds for tires currently using petroleum-derived materials, a $5 B market.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will be directed to the technical feasibility of a critical enabling technology supporting the use of renewable elastomers in low-rolling resistance tire applications. Specifically, the innovation will focus on latex-phase nano-scale reinforcement of natural rubber using novel functional silica-based materials. The technical hurdles include translation of the technology from spin-coating of polytetrafluoroethylene nanoemulsion thin films to bulk solids formation from a natural rubber latex. These are significant challenges because the formation mechanisms, required functional groups, and end-use performance requirements are significantly different. Specific challenges include creation of novel functional silica-based materials; uniform dispersion of the materials in a natural rubber (NR) latex; interactions between the material and the phospholipid of the NR latex particle surface; the chemistry and concentration of the functionalization; characterization of the resulting composite polymer and its microstructure; and adaptation and processing of the innovative polymer into a vulcanized rubber tire tread compound with the desired properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.