Tire with boron nitride reinforced polyurethane

Abstract

This invention relates to a vehicular tire containing at least one boron nitride reinforced polyurethane component. The polyurethane component is a cast polyurethane containing a dispersion of a layered hexagonally crystalline boron nitride (h-BN) particles. The polyurethane is the product of a castable liquid polyurethane reaction mixture derived from polyisocyanate and polymeric polyols without containing carbon-to-carbon bonds as distinguished from carbon-to-carbon double bond containing millable, sulfur curable, polyurethanes. It may sometimes be referred to as being a cast polyurethane.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toroidal shaped tire is provided comprised of or as containing at least one component comprised of polyurethane which contains a dispersion of layered hexagonally crystalline boron nitride particulate (h-BN) reinforcement, where the polyurethane may also optionally contain a dispersion of molecular sieve desiccant,
 wherein the polyurethane is the product of a reaction mixture of   (A) organic polyisocyanate and polymeric polyol, or   (B) primary aliphatic polyamine and pre-polymer of isocyanate terminated product of organic polyisocyanate and polymeric polyol,   wherein said polymeric polyol is comprised of at least one of polyester polyol and polyether polyol and is free of carbon-to-carbon double bonds,   wherein the h-BN dispersion is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of the polyurethane.   
     
     
         2 . The tire of  claim 1  containing a component comprised of a polyurethane as a product of an organic diisocyanate and polymeric polyol where said polymeric polyol is comprised of at least one of polyester polyol and polyether polyol where said polyurethane product contains a dispersion of said h-BN in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of said polyurethane product. 
     
     
         3 . The tire of  claim 2  wherein said polymeric polyol is comprised of a polyester polyol comprised of a product of dicarboxylic acid having from about 4 to about 10 carbon atoms and hydroxyl terminated hydrocarbon diol having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         4 . The tire of  claim 2  wherein said diisocyanate is comprised of at least one of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), m-phenylene diisocyanate, 4-chloro-1,3-phenylene diisocyanate, 4,4′-tetramethylene diisocyanate (MDI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,10-decamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-cyclohexylene diisocyanate, 4,4′-methylene-bis(cyclohexylisocyanate) and 1,5-tetrahydronaphthalene diisocyanate. 
     
     
         5 . The tire of  claim 4  wherein said diisocyanate is comprised of 4,4′-tetramethylene diisocyanate. 
     
     
         6 . The tire of  claim 2  wherein said polyurethane product contains a desiccant comprised of molecular sieves. 
     
     
         7 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein said polyurethane product contains a plasticizer. 
     
     
         8 . The tire of  claim 7  wherein said plasticizer is comprised of dioctyladipate. 
     
     
         9 . The tire of  claim 1  wherein said polyurethane is comprised of the product of primary aliphatic polyamine and pre-polymer of isocyanate terminated product of organic polyisocyanate and polymeric polyol. 
     
     
         10 . The tire of  claim 9  wherein said primary aliphatic polyamine is an aliphatic primary diamine. 
     
     
         11 . The tire of  claim 9  wherein said polymeric polyol is a polyester polyol comprised of a product of dicarboxylic acid having from about 4 to about 10 carbon atoms and hydroxyl terminated hydrocarbon diol having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         12 . The tire of  claim 10  wherein said polyisocyanate is comprised of at least one of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), m-phenylene diisocyanate, 4-chloro-1,3-phenylene diisocyanate, 4,4′-tetramethylene diisocyanate (MDI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,10-decamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-cyclohexylene diisocyanate, 4,4′-methylene-bis(cyclohexylisocyanate) and 1,5-tetrahydronaphthalene diisocyanate. 
     
     
         13 . The tire of  claim 12  wherein said polyisocyanate is comprised of 4,4′-tetramethylene diisocyanate. 
     
     
         14 . The tire of  claim 10  wherein said polyurethane product contains a plasticizer. 
     
     
         15 . The tire of  claim 14  wherein said plasticizer is comprised of dioctyladipate. 
     
     
         16 . A method of preparing a particulate layered hexagonally crystalline boron nitride (h-BN) reinforced polyurethane comprises:
 (A) preparing a polyurethane reaction mixture by:
 (1) blending h-BN with polymeric polyol comprised of at least one of polyether polyol and polyester polyol to form a composite thereof. followed by blending an organic diisocyanate with said composite, or 
 (2) blending h-BN with an isocyanate terminated pre-polymer of organic diisocyanate and polymeric polyol comprised of at least one of polyether polyol and polyester polyol to form a composite thereof, followed by blending a primary aliphatic diamine with said composite, and 
   (B) allowing said polyurethane reaction mixture to react to from a polyurethane product containing a dispersion of h-BN reinforcement,   wherein said polymeric polyol is free of carbon-to-carbon double bonds.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  which comprises preparing a polyurethane reaction mixture by blending h-BN with polymeric polyol comprised of at least one of polyether polyol and polyester polyol to form a composite thereof. followed by blending an organic diisocyanate with said composite and allowing said polyurethane reaction mixture to react to from a polyurethane product containing a dispersion of h-BN reinforcement. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  which comprises preparing a polyurethane reaction mixture by blending h-BN with an isocyanate terminated pre-polymer of organic diisocyanate and polymeric polyol comprised of at least one of polyether polyol and polyester polyol to form a composite thereof, followed by blending a primary aliphatic diamine with said composite, and allowing said polyurethane reaction mixture to react to form a polyurethane product containing a dispersion of h-BN reinforcement. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  which comprises casting said polyurethane reaction mixture into a suitable mold cavity and allowing said polyurethane reaction mixture to react to form a polyurethane containing a dispersion of said h-BN comprised of at least one of a tire and tire with a component thereof. 
     
     
         20 . An article of manufacture comprised of at least one of a tire and tire component comprised of a polyurethane containing a dispersion of h-BN is provided by the method of  claim 19 .