Granted Patent B2

US 12,370,833 · App. 18/254,566 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Thomas Kramer (Herford, DE); Nermeen Nabih (Hannover, DE); Wolfgang Reese (Peine, DE); Michael Schunack (Hannover, DE)

Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH

B60C9/0042B60C15/0009D01D5/084D01D5/088D01F6/62D02G3/02D02G3/28D02G3/48D10B2331/04D10B2401/04D10B2505/022

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A rubberized strength member for elastomeric products comprising:

at least one first yarn comprised of a High Modulus Low Shrinkage polyethylene terephthalate (HMLS-PET) comprising recycled PET;

wherein the first yarn is twisted in a x2 cord, where the cord has a twist factor of 150 to 250 and a breaking force of at least 6.3 g/den and has an elongation at 45 N of less than 0.0056%/den and hot shrinkage of less than 3%;

wherein the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a crystallization level of 45% to 53.5%.

2. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET comprises 10% to 100% by weight of recycled PET.

3. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET includes 0.12% to 5% by weight, of isophthalic acid (IPA).

4. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a fineness of 300 to 4000 denier (den).

5. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , produced by a process comprising the steps:

a) performing pre-crystallization, crystallization and solid-state polymerization of the PET from a) to give high-viscosity PET chips having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.85 to 1.15 dl/g;

b) drying, and mixing the chips of recycled PET with chips of virgin PET to obtain PET chips comprising up to 10% to 100% by weight of chips from recycled PET, melting and extruding of the PET chips for the yarn spinning, subsequent yarn spinning by means of a spinneret comprising a reheater having a buffer zone with the high-viscosity PET chips from step b), and stepwise cooling of the unstretched yarn, wherein the water content of the chips after drying is less than 30 ppm, the temperature of the reheater beneath the spinneret is 280 to 350° C. and the length of the buffer zone beneath the reheater during the stepwise cooling is 20 to 100 mm;

c) oiling, drawing, heat-setting and winding after the stepwise cooling in step c) to obtain an HMLS-PET yarn.

6. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET comprises 30% to 100% by weight of recycled PET.

7. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET comprises 50% to 100% by weight of recycled PET.

8. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET includes 0.12% to 2.2% by weight of isophthalic acid (IPA).

9. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a fineness of 300 to 3100 den.

10. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a fineness of 300 to 2000 den.

11. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 , the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a fineness of 900 to 2000 den.

12. The rubberized strength member of claim 1 ,

the first yarn of HMLS-PET comprises 50% to 100% by weight of recycled PET,

the first yarn of HMLS-PET includes 0.12% to 2.2% by weight of isophthalic acid (IPA),

the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a fineness of 900 to 2000 den.

13. A process for producing a rubberized strength member comprising:

a) providing PET chips comprising 100% by weight of recycled PET from PET bottles or other PET products and optionally provision of chips of virgin PET;

b) performing pre-crystallization, crystallization and solid-state polymerization of the PET from a) to give high-viscosity PET chips having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.85 to 1.15 dl/g;

c) drying, and mixing the chips of recycled PET with chips of virgin PET to obtain PET chips comprising up to 10% to 100% by weight of chips from recycled PET, melting and extruding of the PET chips for the yarn spinning, subsequent yarn spinning by means of a spinneret comprising a reheater having a buffer zone with the high-viscosity PET chips from step b), and stepwise cooling of the unstretched yarn, wherein the water content of the chips after drying is less than 30 ppm, the temperature of the reheater beneath the spinneret is 280 to 350° C. and the length of the buffer zone beneath the reheater during the stepwise cooling is 20 to 100 mm;

d) oiling, drawing, heat-setting and winding after the stepwise cooling in step c) to obtain an HMLS-PET yarn;

e) twisting;

f) weaving;

g) performing modification of adhesion with a dip;

h) performing rubberization with a rubberization mixture;

wherein the first yarn is twisted in a x2 cord, where the cord has a twist factor of 150 to 250 and a breaking force of at least 6.3 g/den and has an elongation at 45 N of less than 0.0056%/den and hot shrinkage of less than 3%;

wherein the first yarn of HMLS-PET has a crystallization level of 45% to 53.5%.

14. A vehicle tire comprising:

a sidewall having a plurality of strength members;

the plurality of strength members comprised of a High Modulus Low Shrinkage polyethylene terephthalate (HMLS-PET) comprising recycled PET, 50% to 100% by weight, of recycled PET, 0.12% to 2.2% by weight, of isophthalic acid (IPA), a crystallization level of 45% to 53.5%, a fineness of 300 to 4000 denier (den), hot shrinkage of less than 8% and elongation at 45 N of less than 0.0056%/den, and a x2 cord, where the cord has a twist factor of 150 to 250 and a breaking force of at least 6.3 g/den and has an elongation at 45 N of less than 0.0056%/den and hot shrinkage of less than 3%.

15. The vehicle tire of claim 14 , the plurality of strength members formed as a strength member ply.

16. The vehicle tire of claim 14 further comprising a carcass ply, a belt bandage, a belt ply and a bead reinforcement that comprise the plurality of strength members.

17. The vehicle tire of claim 14 , further comprising a carcass ply, where the carcass ply is run around a bead twice (two-ply construction) in a turnup, wherein the end of the ply/plies lies between the core and the edge of the belt and the carcass ply comprises a plurality of strength members comprised of the High Modulus Low Shrinkage polyethylene terephthalate (HMLS-PET).

18. The tire of claim 14 , wherein the strength member is produced by a process comprising the steps:

a) performing pre-crystallization, crystallization and solid-state polymerization of the PET from a) to give high-viscosity PET chips having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.85 to 1.15 dl/g;

b) drying, and mixing the chips of recycled PET with chips of virgin PET to obtain PET chips comprising up to 10% to 100% by weight of chips from recycled PET, melting and extruding of the PET chips for the yarn spinning, subsequent yarn spinning by means of a spinneret comprising a reheater having a buffer zone with the high-viscosity PET chips from step b), and stepwise cooling of the unstretched yarn, wherein the water content of the chips after drying is less than 30 ppm, the temperature of the reheater beneath the spinneret is 280 to 350° C. and the length of the buffer zone beneath the reheater during the stepwise cooling is 20 to 100 mm;

c) oiling, drawing, heat-setting and winding after the stepwise cooling in step c) to obtain an HMLS-PET yarn.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (27)