Novel ammonium salt useful as modifiers for rubber

This invention relates to certain novel ammonium salts, to their use as modifiers for rubber, and to their production processes.
Recently, there have grown social demands for improving the rate of fuel consumption in tires of passenger cars and for extending running life in large size tires of motor trucks and buses. Thus, attention has been paid to chemicals for improving the dynamic properties of vulcanized rubber, such as for improving resilience and heat build-up.
Besides the addition of such dynamic property improvers, there are some known methods for improving dynamic properties of vulcanized rubber, such as improvements in, for example, microstructure or molecular weight distribution of rubber, and improvements in the compounding manner of organic rubber chemicals or fillers. The addition of dynamic property improvers, however, has some advantage in that it can easily improve the dynamic properties in comparison with the other methods and can be applied also to natural rubber.
There have been developed as the dynamic property improvers, for example, 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives having particular structures as disclosed in Japanese Pat. Publication Kokai (A) 58-118837 and nitro compounds containing sulfur atoms disclosed in Japanese Pat. Publication Kokai (A) 59-18740.
However, both the 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives and the sulfur-containing nitro compounds were, in spite of their excellent effects on improvements in dynamic properties, not entirely satisfactory due to their undesirable effects of markedly accelerating scorching or deteriorating flex cracking resistance.
In view of the above circumstances, the present inventors have made intensive investigations to develop compounds useful as modifiers for rubber having excellent characteristics in improving dynamic properties without the above defects, and found that particular ammonium salts are extremely useful as modifiers for vulcanized rubber, particularly as dynamic property improvers.
Thus, the present invention provides an ammonium salt represented by the formula (I) ##STR2## wherein X represents aliphatic group or alicyclic group, each of which may contain halogen, oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur in the group;
n is an integer of 1 or more; and
R and R' each independently represent hydrogen or an alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and may conjointly form a ring.
The present invention also concerns the use of the above ammonium salt as a modifier for rubber.
The present invention further provides a process for producing the ammonium salt of the formula (I) by reacting a primary amine represented by the formula (II) ##STR3## wherein X and n have the same meanings as defined above, with a nitroalkane represented by the formula (III) ##STR4## wherein R and R' have the same meanings as defined above.
The ammonium salt of the present invention represented by the formula (I) can be produced by reacting the primary amine represented by the formula (II) with the nitroalkane represented by the formula (III). The reaction can be carried out by mixing the primary amine and the nitroalkane.
Typical examples of the primary amine represented by the formula (II) usable in the present invention include the following:
monoamines such as methylamine, ethylamine, 1-aminobutane, 2-aminobutane, 1-aminooctane, 1-aminododecane and cyclohexylamine;
diamines such as ethylenediamine, 1, 4-diamino butane, 1,6-diaminohexane, 1, 8-diaminooctane, 1, 10-diaminodecane, 1, 12-diaminododecane and 1, 4-diaminocyclohexane;
triamines including triaminotrialkylamines such as 2, 2',2"-triaminotriethylamine;
halogenoalkylamines such as 2-chloroethylamine and 2-bromoethylamine;
oxygen-containing amines such as ethanolamine, 2-amino-1-propanol, 2-methoxyethylamine, 2-amino-1-butanol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methoxypropylamine, 6-amino-1-hexanol and 2-aminocyclohexanol;
aminothiols such as 2-aminoethanethiol; and the like.
As is clear from the above examples, X in the primary amine of the formula (II) can be various types of groups, and its number of carbon atoms or the like are not limited in principle. Preferable X is aliphatic group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or alicyclic group having 3 to 18 carbon atoms. Among them, the aliphatic group, particularly those having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, are more preferred. Of course, these X' s can contain halogen, oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur. These X' s will correspond to the X' s in the objective ammonium salts of the formula (I).
The number of primary amino groups, n, in the primary amine (II) can also vary to a considerable extent. For example, it will be possible to use the primary amine in which n is around 20 or more, but normally it will be sufficient to use one in which n is 10 or less, and preferably one in which n is 6 or less, and more preferably one in which n is 1 to 3. In general, n in the starting primary amine of the formula (II) will be the same number as n in the objective ammonium salt of the formula (I).
Typical examples of the nitroalkane represented by the formula (III) usable in the present invention include nitromethane, nitroethane, 1-nitropropane, 2-nitropropane, 2-nitrobutane, 2-nitrooctane, nitrocyclohexane, 1-nitrododecane, 2-nitrododecane and the like.
As is clear from the above examples, R and R' in the nitroalkane of the formula (III) can vary within the scope of hydrogen, an alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a group in which R and R' conjointly form a ring. Preferable one for R and R' is hydrogen or an alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. These R and R' will correspond to those in the objective ammonium salt of the formula (I).
The weight ratio between the primary amine represented by the formula (II) and the nitroalkane represented by the formula (III) is not particularly limited in the reaction of the present invention, but it is preferable to use the nitroalkane in an amount of about equimolar or more to the primary amino group in the primary amine. Especially, when the primary amine is a polyamine having 2 or more primary amino groups in the molecule, and the nitroalkane is used in an amount less than equimolar to the primary amino group in the primary amine, compounds having unreacted primary amino group will be formed to decrease the reaction yield of the desired ammonium salt represented by the formula (I).
In this reaction, when the nitroalkane is used in excess of the required amount, the surplus can be a solvent. On the other hand, one is also allowed to use a solvent such as lower alcohols. The lower alcohols usable as the solvent include, for example, methanol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol.
Reaction temperature is preferably in a range of from about 0.degree. C to about 100.degree. C, more preferably from about 20.degree. C to about 60.degree. C. Reaction time varies depending on the kind of starting compound or the like, and is not limited to a specific range, but the reaction is usually completed within 2 hours.
After completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture is cooled to a temperature of from about 0.degree. C to about 10.degree. C, the precipitated crystals are collected on a filter and then dried to obtain a desired product.
The ammonium salt of the formula (I) thus obtained is quite useful as a modifier for rubber, particularly as a dynamic property improver for vulcanized rubber. When it is used as a modifier for rubber, the ammonium salt may be used alone, or by mixing with common carriers which will not affect the rubber properties.
Next, the method of using the modifier for rubber, namely the compounding method of rubber compositions, will be explained hereunder.
The modifier for rubber containing the ammonium salt represented by the formula (I}as an active ingredient can be incorporated into natural rubber or synthetic rubber, together with a filler and other additives which are usually used in rubber industries. The rubbers applicable in the present invention include natural rubber and various kinds of synthetic rubber such as polyisoprene rubber (IR), styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber (BR), acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubber (NBR), isoprene-isobutylene copolymer rubber (IIR) and ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer rubber (EPDM), among which highly unsaturated rubber is preferably used.
As for the filler, it includes, for example, carbon black, silica, talc and clay, all of which are normally used in the rubber industry. Among these fillers, carbon black is preferably used in the present invention. The compounding ratio of the filler can be similar to conventional use, and is not critically specified in the present invention.
As for other additives, there are process oil, stearic acid, vulcanizing agent, vulcanization accelerator and so forth. These additives are preferably used also in the present invention as in the conventional manner.
According to the present invention, rubber is blended with the ammonium salt represented by the formula (I), preferably along with the above filler and other additives. The amount of the ammonium salt is not critical for compounding a rubber composition. However, if the amount is too small, it exhibits only unsatisfactory improving effect on the dynamic properties. If it is too great, the effect is to be uneconomical. Therefore, it is preferable to use the ammonium salt in a proportion of from about 0.1 to about 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the rubber.
In general, when compounding ingredients are incorporated into natural rubber or synthetic rubber, the compounding is, in principle, carried out by two steps. That is, a filler, process oil, stearic acid or the like are incorporated in the first step at a relatively high rubber temperature of from about 120.degree. C to about 200.degree. C, while a vulcanization accelerator and a vulcanizing agent are incorporated in the second step at a relatively low rubber temperature of from about 30.degree. C to about 120.degree. C.
When the ammonium salt of the present invention represented by the formula (I) is incorporated into rubber, this can be carried out in any step. Therefore, it may be incorporated together with the vulcanization accelerator and vulcanizing agent in the second step at relatively low temperature, but is preferably incorporated in the first step at relatively high temperature when the filler and the like are incorporated. At this stage, a vulcanization accelerator and/or a vulcanizing agent such as dimorpholinodisulfide may be additionally used as auxiliary agents in a small amount in order to further improve the effect.
When the ammonium salt of the present invention and the filler such as carbon black are incorporated into the rubber, its torque will sometimes tend to increase. In order to remedy such phenomenon, a peptizer or a retarder may be used at the same time. Further, a variety of usual rubber chemicals, a softener and the like may of course be used, if necessary.
According to the present invention, a novel ammonium salt useful as a modifier for rubber is provided. This ammonium salt or modifier will contribute to the production of such chemicals particularly on an industrial scale, because its production is easier than conventional modifiers such as dynamic property improvers.
The modifier containing the above ammonium salt as an active ingredient has excellent efficiency to improve the dynamic properties of rubber such as resilience and heat build-up, when it is incorporated into vulcanized rubber including natural rubber or synthetic rubber. Further, the compounded rubber containing the above modifier is also improved in flex cracking resistance which has been a contrary characteristic to the improvement of dynamic properties in the conventional technology. At the same time, scorching is not so markedly accelerated in comparison with the rubber containing a conventional modifier, and is near to the one containing no such modifier.
Because of these characteristics, the modifier for rubber according to the present invention can be applied not only to the rubber for treads of various sorts of tires but also to the rubber for other parts of tires. It may be further employed effectively in industrial equipment such as antivibration rubber and the like. Therefore, it is extensively valuable in industrial uses.

The following examples will illustrate the present invention in more detail, but do not restrict the present invention.
EXAMPLE 1
Into a flask, 129 g (1.0 mole) of 1-aminooctane and 100 ml of methanol were charged, and then 89 g (1.0 mole) of 2-nitropropane were dropped into the flask maintained at about 40.degree. C over a period of about 30 minutes. After that, upon maintaining the mixture at the same temperature for 30 minutes, crystals were precipitated to give slurry. The reaction mixture was cooled to a temperature of 5.degree. C and then filtered. The filtered precipitates were washed with 30 ml of cold methanol and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 213 g of 1-octylammonium 2-nitropropan-2-ide with a yield of 97.7%.
The compound was in a state of pale brown crystals having a melting point of 30.degree. -32.degree. C. The compound will be referred to as compound A hereinafter.
An elemental analysis result of the compound was as follows:
______________________________________ C H N______________________________________Found 60.80% 11.88% 13.01%Calculated 60.51% 12.00% 12.83%______________________________________
The compound was confirmed to be an ammonium salt by the following assignment of IR spectra:
stretching vibration of 3,100 -2,600 cm.sup.-6 for NH.sub.3.sup.+ ; and
combination vibration (asymmetric deformation, torsion) of 2,200 cm.sup.-1 for NH.sub.3.sup.+.
EXAMPLES 2 -4
1-Aminobutane, 1-aminododecane and cyclohexylamine were used in an amount of 1.0 mole respectively instead of the 1-aminooctane in Example 1 as starting primary amines, and the other reaction operations were repeated in the same manner as in Example 1 to produce other monoammonium salts.
Table 1 shows melting points and elemental analysis results of the obtained compounds.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________ Prepared ammonium salt Starting MeltingExam- primary Abbre- Name of Yield point Elemental analysisple amine viation compound (g) (.degree.C.) (%)__________________________________________________________________________ (C.sub.7 H.sub.18 N.sub.2 O.sub.2)2 1-Amino- B 1-Butyl- 159 23-25 C H N butane ammonium 2- Found: 51.63 11.27 17.51 nitropropan- Calcu- 2-ide lated: 51.82 11.18 17.27 (C.sub.15 H.sub.34 N.sub.2 O.sub.2)3 1-Amino- C 1-Dodecyl- 270 67-70 C H N dodecane ammonium 2- Found: 65.37 12.27 9.99 nitropropan- Calcu- 2-ide lated: 65.65 12.49 10.21 (C.sub.9 H.sub.20 N.sub.2 O.sub.2)4 Cyclo- D Cyclohexyl- 185 33-35 C H N hexyl- ammonium 2- Found: 57.03 14.50 10.79 amine nitropropan- Calcu- 2-ide lated: 57.41 14.88 10.71__________________________________________________________________________
EXAMPLE 5
Into a flask, 116 g (1.0 mole) of 1, 6-diaminohexane, 178 g (2.0 moles) of 2-nitropropane and 180 ml of methanol were charged. Upon stirring them at room temperature for 1 hour, white crystals were precipitated to give slurry. The reaction was exothermic and the liquid temperature rose to the maximum of 45.degree. C. After completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was cooled to 5.degree. C and then filtered. The filtered precipitates were washed with 50 ml of cold methanol and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 290 g of 1, 6-hexanediammonium bis(2-nitropropan-2-ide) with a yield of 98.6%.
The compound was in a state of white crystals having a melting point of 86.degree. - 87.degree. C. The compound will be referred to as compound E hereinafter.
An elemental analysis result of the compound was as follows:
______________________________________ C H N______________________________________Found 48.75% 10.42% 18.97%Calculated 48.96% 10.27% 19.03%______________________________________
The compound was confirmed to be an ammonium salt by the following assignment of IR spectra:
stretching vibration of 3,100 - 2,600 -2,600 cm.sup.-1 for NH.sub.3.sup.+ ; and
combination vibration (asymmetric deformation, torsion) of 2,190 cm.sup.-1 for NH.sub.3.sup.+.
Examples 6 - 8
Ethylenediamine, 1, 4-diaminobutane and 1, 12-diaminododecane were used in an amount of 1.0 mole respectively instead of the 1, 6-diaminohexane in Example 5 as starting primary amines, and the other reaction operations were repeated in the same manner as in Example 5 to produce other diammonium salts.
Table 2 shows melting points and elemental analysis results of the obtained compounds.
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ Prepared ammonium salt Starting MeltingExam- primary Abbre- Name of Yield point Elemental analysisple amine viation compound (g) (.degree.C.) (%)__________________________________________________________________________ (C.sub.8 H.sub.22 N.sub.4 O.sub.4)6 Ethylene- F 1,2-Ethane- 232 25-28 C H N diamine diammonium Found: 41.18 9.29 23.25 bis(2-nitro- Calcu- propan-2-ide) lated: 40.32 9.31 23.51 (C.sub.10 H.sub.26 N.sub.4 O.sub.4)7 1,4- G 1,4-Butane- 263 55-57 C H N Diamino- diammonium Found: 45.23 9.92 20.88 butane bis(2-nitro- Calcu- propan-2-ide) lated: 45.10 9.84 21.04 (C.sub.18 H.sub.42 N.sub.4 O.sub.4)8 1,12- H 1,12-Dodecane- 375 109-111 C H N Diamino- diammonium Found: 57.01 11.33 14.56 dodecane bis(2-nitro- Calcu- propan-2-ide) lated: 57.11 11.18 14.80__________________________________________________________________________
EXAMPLES 9 - 11
Nitroethane, 1-nitropropane and nitrocyclohexane were used in an amount of 2.0 moles respectively instead of the 2-nitropropane in Example 5 as starting nitroalkanes, and the other reaction operations were repeated in the same manner as in Example 5 to produce other diammonium salts.
Table 3 shows melting points and elemental analysis results of the obtained compounds.
TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________ Prepared ammonium salt Starting MeltingExam- nitro- Abbre- Name of Yield point Elemental analysisple alkane viation compound (g) (.degree.C.) (%)__________________________________________________________________________ (C.sub.10 H.sub.26 N.sub.4 O.sub.4)9 Nitro- I 1,6-Hexane- 263 72-74 C H N ethane diammonium Found: 44.88 9.92 20.87 bis(nitro- Calcu- ethan-1-ide) lated: 45.10 9.83 21.04 (C.sub.12 H.sub.30 N.sub.4 O.sub.4)10 Nitro- J 1,6-Hexane- 289 81-83 C H N propane diammonium Found: 48.59 10.38 18.85 bis(1-nitro- Calcu- propane-1-ide) lated: 48.96 10.27 19.03 (C.sub.18 H.sub.38 N.sub.4 O.sub.4)11 Nitro- K 1,6-Hexane- 369 108-110 C H N cyclo- diammonium Found: 57.66 10.42 15.10 hexane bis(nitro- Calcu- cyclohexan- lated: 57.73 10.23 14.96 1-ide)__________________________________________________________________________ Example 12
Into a flask, 14.6 g (0.1 mole) of 2, 2',2"-tri-aminotriethylamine and 10 ml of methanol were charged, and then 26.7 g (0.3 mole) of 2-nitropropane were dropped into the flask maintained at about 40.degree. C over a period of about 30 minutes. After that, upon maintaining the mixture at the same temperature for 1 hour, white crystals were precipitated to give slurry. The reaction mixture was cooled to a temperature of 0.degree. C and then filtered. The filtered precipitates were washed with 10 ml of cold methanol and dried under reduced pressure to obtain 40.3 g of triethylamine-2, 2',2"-triammonium tris(2-nitropropan-2-ide) with a yield of 97.6%.
The compound was in a state of white crystals having a melting point of 39.degree. -41.degree. C. The compound will be referred to as compound L hereinafter.
An elemental analysis result of the compound was as follows:
______________________________________ C H N______________________________________Found 43.68% 9.48% 23.65%Calculated 43.57% 9.50% 23.71%______________________________________
EXAMPLE 13
The compounds A to L thus obtained in Examples 1 to 12 were incorporated into natural rubber in accordance with the recipe for compounding listed below to conduct various tests for evaluating the physical properties of the compounded rubber. For comparison, the same tests were also conducted for the rubber blended with 7? (dimethyldithiocarbamoylmethyl)? 8? hydroxyquinoline (abbreviated as DTHQ) which had been disclosed in Japanese Pat. Publication Kokai (A) 58? 118837, the rubber blended with a resinous material obtained by reacting N? (1? methyl2-nitropropyl) aniline with sulfur monochloride in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 (abbreviated as MNDS) which had been disclosed in Japanese Pat. Publication Kokai (A) 59? 18740, and the rubber blended with no such compound.
______________________________________Recipe for compounding______________________________________Natural Rubber (RSS #1) 100 parts by weightHAF Black 45 parts by weightStearic Acid 3 parts by weightAromatic Process Oil 3 parts by weightZinc Oxide 5 parts by weightVulcanization Accelerator 1 part by weight(N--Cyclohexyl-2-benzo-thiazolylsulfenamide)Sulfur 2 parts by weightModifying Compound Shown in Table 4(Ammonium salt of the presentinvention or comparativecompound)______________________________________
At the compounding, LABOPLASTOMILL.RTM. with a capacity of 250 ml, manufactured by TOYO SEIKI CO., LTD., was used as a Bumbury's Mixer. First of all, the basal natural rubber was mixed with the carbon black, zinc oxide, process oil, stearic acid and modifying compound listed in the above recipe at an oil bath temperature of 170.degree. C. The mixture was then kneaded for 5 minutes with mixer revolutions of 60 rpm. The rubber temperature was 150.degree. -160.degree. C at the kneading. Next, the blend was transferred on an open mill and kneaded while adding thereto the vulcanization accelerator and sulfur listed in the above recipe at a temperature of 40.degree. -50.degree. C. The blend was then vulcanized by using a vulcanizing press at a temperature of 145.degree. C. for 20 minutes to form a predetermined shape. The formed vulcanizates were provided for various tests.
The following were methods for the various tests:
(1) Mooney Scorching
Scorch time was determined by measuring the time for increasing the scorching by 5 points from the lowest value at 125.degree. C, in accordance with JIS K 6300. However, SBR in below-mentioned Example 14 was tested at 135.degree. C.
(2) Tensile Property and Resilience
A tensile test was conducted in accordance with JIS K 6301. Tensile stress (M.sub.300) was measured by using a No. 5 type ring. Resilience was measured by using a Lupke type tester.
(3) Heat Build-up Resistance
A test was conducted in accordance with ASTM D 623-58. A Goodrich type heat build-up tester was used under a load of 35 lbs, a stroke of 6.35 mm, a frequency of 1,800 rpm and a chamber temperature of 40.degree. C. Heat build-up temperature after 40 minutes was determined by indicating the difference between the rubber temperature after 40 minutes and the initial rubber temperature.
(4) Flex Cracking Resistance
A fatigue-to-failure tester, manufactured by MONSANTO CO., was used. Flex cycles until breaking were measured under a strain ratio of 100%.
Table 4 shows compounding conditions for the modifying compounds, namely the ammonium salts of the present invention or the comparative compounds, and results of the above various tests.
TABLE 4__________________________________________________________________________ Invention 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________Modify- Kind A B C D E F G Hing Amount 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1compound (parts by weight) Scorch time 11.1 12.5 10.9 13.7 10.1 11.4 10.7 10.2 (min) Resilience 69 67 68 67 77 68 75 77 (%)Rubber Heat build-upproper- temperature 33 37 35 38 28 34 30 28ties (.degree.C.) Flex cracking 25.8 21.7 26.2 20.3 29.1 22.5 28.7 29.8 (KC) M.sub.300 160 159 159 162 165 158 164 165 (kg/cm.sup.2)__________________________________________________________________________ Invention Comparison 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 2 3__________________________________________________________________________Modify- Kind I J K L E E DTHQ MNDS --ing Amount 1 1 1 1 0.3 0.5 1 1 --compound (parts by weight) Scorch time 13.3 12.5 10.6 10.1 12.0 11.2 2.5 4.2 16.7 (min) Resilience 67 69 70 75 72 75 69 70 62 (%)Rubber Heat build-upproper- temperature 38 34 32 30 33 30 34 32 42ties (.degree.C.) Flex cracking 24.8 25.8 23.9 28.6 22.0 24.2 10.9 19.6 21.1 (KC) M.sub.300 153 155 158 162 160 163 172 160 149 (kg/cm.sup.2)__________________________________________________________________________
Example 14
Using SBR #1500 instead of the natural rubber, test pieces were prepared in the same manner as in Example 13 except that the oil bath in the Bumbury's Mixer was settled at a temperature of 190.degree. C. Evaluation tests were conducted as in the manner shown in Example 13. Table 5 shows results of the evaluation tests together with compounding conditions for the modifying compounds.
TABLE 5______________________________________ Invention Comparison 1 2 3 4 1 2______________________________________Modify- Kind A E E E -- DTHQing Amount 2 0.5 1 2 -- 2com- (parts bypound weight)Rubber Scorch time 19.5 22.5 20.1 18.3 22.4 7.4proper- (min)ties Resilience 55 55 57 60 53 55 (%) Heat build-up 60 61 57 53 65 57 temperature (.degree.C.) Flex cracking 52.2 48.8 55.2 58.9 41.9 10.1 (KC) M.sub.300 140 133 136 138 130 149 (kg/cm.sup.2)______________________________________

Number	Name	Date
3151161	Mullins et al.	Sep 1964
3756969	Danielson	Sep 1973
4698446	Lai et al.	Oct 1987

Number	Date	Country
2533365	Jan 1988	EPX
1330763	May 1963	FRX
58-118837	Jul 1983	JPX
59-18740	Jan 1984	JPX

Novel ammonium salt useful as modifiers for rubber

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Chemical Abstracts, vol. 99, No. 13, Sept. 26, 1983, p. 542, Abs. No. 104716.
Chemical Abstracts, vol. 90, No. 11, Mar. 12, 1979, p. 523, No. 86300R.