Steel cord comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material

1. A steel cord comprising:

one or more strands, said one or more strands comprising at least two filaments,

wherein void spaces between at least two filaments of at least one of said one or more strands are partially filled with a composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

2. A steel cord comprising:

a plurality of strands, said strands comprising at least two filaments,

wherein void spaces between at least two of the strands are partially filled with a composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

3. A steel cord according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material comprises polyurethane.

4. A steel cord according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material comprises blocked isocyanate.

5. A steel cord according to claim 1 , comprising at least two strands, wherein the void spaces are at least one type of void spaces selected from the group consisting of inter-strand void spaces and intra-strand void spaces.

6. A steel cord according to claim 5 , wherein the intra-strand void spaces are at least 80% filled with the composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

7. A steel cord according to claim 5 , wherein the inter-strand void spaces are at least 80% filled with the composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

8. A steel cord according to claim 1 , wherein the filaments or strands are primed with at least one adhesion promoter selected from the group consisting of organo-functional silanes, organo-functional titanates and organo-functional zirconates.

9. A steel cord according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material is cured.

10. A steel cord according to claim 1 , comprising filaments having a diameter of less than about 0.3 mm.

11. A method comprising using the steel cord according to claim 1 in an elevator belt, a timing belt, or a tire reinforcement application.

12. A method of manufacturing a steel cord comprising the steps of:

providing at least one steel element, said steel element being a filament or a strand comprising filaments,

coating at least one of said steel elements with polymer, said coating step comprising dipping the at least one steel element in a polymer bath, stripping superfluous polymer from the at least one steel element through a sizing die and cooling the polymer, thereby controlling the coating thickness, and

assembling said at least one steel element into a steel cord,

wherein the polymer is a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material, and

wherein at least part of an outer surface of the steel cord is kept free from said heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material comprises polyurethane.

14. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material comprises blocked isocyanate.

15. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of curing the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

16. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of priming the filament or strand with at least one adhesion promoter selected from the group consisting of organo-functional silanes, organo-functional titanates and organo-functional zirconates.

17. A steel cord according to claim 2 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material comprises polyurethane.

18. A steel cord according to claim 2 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material comprises blocked isocyanate.

19. A steel cord according to claim 2 , wherein intra-strand void spaces are also partially filled with the composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

20. A steel cord according to claim 19 , wherein the intra-strand void spaces are at least 80% filled with the composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

21. A steel cord according to claim 2 , wherein the void spaces between the at least two of the strands are at least 80% filled with the composition comprising a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

22. A steel cord according to claim 2 , wherein the filaments or strands are primed with at least one adhesion promoter selected from the group consisting of organo-functional silanes, organo-functional titanates and organo-functional zirconates.

23. A steel cord according to claim 2 , wherein the heat-curable one-component thermosetting material is cured.

24. A steel cord according to claim 2 , comprising filaments having a diameter of less than about 0.3 mm.

25. A method comprising using the steel cord according to claim 2 in an elevator belt, a timing belt, or a tire reinforcement application.

26. A steel cord comprising one or more strands, said one or more strands comprising at least two filaments, wherein at least two filaments of at least one of said one or more strands are partially connected to one another via a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.

27. A steel cord comprising at least two strands, said strands comprising at least two filaments, wherein at least one filament of at least one strand is partially connected to at least one filament of at least one other strand via a heat-curable one-component thermosetting material.