Claims
- 1. A method for predispersing compounding ingredients comprising:dispersing and/or solubilizing a first compounding ingredient of a downstream compounding process in a second liquid compounding ingredient of said downstream compounding process which is capable of solubilizing and/or dispersing the compounding ingredient therein, converting an elastomer to a decreased size in a grinding apparatus using a size reduction operation and soaking the elastomer in the second compounding ingredient during the size reduction operation and using the now predispersed first and second ingredients in the downstream compounding process.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first compounding ingredient is a powder.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the powder is ground rubber or an elastomer and the second compounding ingredient is an aromatic oil, ester, or plasticizer.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: decreasing the size of an elastomer in a grinding apparatus to form a fine particle having a particle size of −50 mesh or −80 mesh, and introducing the fine particle into a compounding process wherein the fine particle is mixed with an aromatic oil, ester or plasticizer at a predetermined stoichometric ratio at a point upstream from a mixer used in the compounding process.
- 5. A predispersed particle comprising an elastomer which has been predispersed in a solvent at a predetermined ratio associated with a downstream processing method.
- 6. A particle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the solvent comprises one selected from the group consisting of a plasticizer, and aromatic oil and an ester.
- 7. A particle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined ratio of elastomer to solvent is from about 70:30 to 30:70.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The instant specification claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/178,130, filed Jan. 26, 2000.
The following U.S. Patents are cross-referenced and incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,194 issued Aug. 24, 1993 to Rouse et al. for “METHOD OF PRODUCING FINE ELASTOMERIC PARTICLES”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,215 issued May 2, 1995 to Rouse for “TWO STAGE GRINDING”.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0490056 |
Jun 1992 |
EP |
828 162 |
Feb 1960 |
GB |
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WO |
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Entry |
Harry Ellwood, “A Tale of Continuous Development”, European Rubber Journal, Mar. 1987, pp. 26, 29, and 32, vol. 169, No. 3, Publisher Paul Mitchell, Crain Communications Ltd. |
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/178130 |
Jan 2000 |
US |