Main trends in the development of the tyre industry and the role of the quality of materials and technology in improving product competitiveness

Transcription

1 Kauchuk i Rezina, No.,, pp. - Main trends in the development of the tyre industry and the role of the quality of materials and technology in improving product competitiveness B. S. Grishin Scientific Research Institute of the Tyre Industry (NIIShP) State Unitary Enterprise, Moscow Selected from International Polymer Science and Technology, 8, No. 7,, reference KR //; transl. serial no. 5 ANALYSIS AND PROGNOSIS OF THE OPERATION OF ENTERPRISES OF THE PETROCHEMICAL SECTOR The change in the volumes of tyre production in Russia and other countries of the CIS in is shown in Fig.. Compared with 8, in the level of tyre production in Russia amounted 8.8%, in Belarus %, in the Ukraine.%, and in the CIS as a whole.8%. On the basis of an analysis of the dynamics of production at enterprises of the CIS, all producers can be divided in three groups. The first group includes the Yaroslavl Tyre Works Open Joint Sck Company () and the Omsk Tyre Works, which are members of the Sibur JSC group, the output of which as a proportion of the volume of production (>% in ) is increasing constantly. The second group includes the Voltaire, the Kirov Tyre Works, the Moscow Tyre Works, the Uralshina, the SP Rosava Closed Joint Sck Company (CJSC), and the Belshina Tyre Works, the output of which as a proportion of the volume of production (~%) has not varied or has increased slightly. The third group includes the Nizhnekamskshina, the Dneproshina, the Voronezhshina, and the Krasnoyarsk Tyre Works, the output of which as a proportion of the volume of production (%) has decreased. The number of works producing over million tyres per year has increased from 77%. Table shows the dynamics of the export and import of aumobile tyres in the period. As can be seen from the given data, there is a steady trend wards growth in the export of Russian tyres; the import of tyres in Russia is tending decrease, largely on account of a reduction in the importation of tyres from countries outside the former USSR. The optimistic prognosis with respect the growth in the volumes of tyre production in Russia is not by chance. Before moving on this question, we will examine data on the production and consumption of rubbers in European and Asian countries and in Russia (Table ). From the data given in Table it can be seen that in Russia there Fig. Dynamics of production ( ) and optimistic (' ') and pessimistic ('' '') prognoses of tyre production by enterprises in Russia and the CIS: '' Russia; '' Ukraine; '' Belarus ; '' output; 5 prognosis of demand for CIS International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No., T/

2 Table Dynamics of export and import of aumobile tyres in Russia in Product Quantity x Ratio of quantities, % 7 8 / /8 Export New pneumatic tyres: CIS other countries Car tyres: CIS other countries Lorry tyres: CIS other countries Import New pneumatic tyres: from CIS from other countries Car tyres: from CIS from other countries Lorry tyres: from CIS from other countries is a unique ratio of the volumes of general-purpose rubbers and synthetic rubber (SK) production. However, laws of the world market are forcing Russia encourage the development of industries that consume rubbers, such as the tyre industry and mechanical rubber goods (MRGs) production. In the 8 period, after a certain slump, a growth was observed in the volumes of synthetic rubber production in Russia (Fig. ), the rate of which practically coincided with the rate of growth in tyre production. The potential for positive growth is extremely high. Optimistic and pessimistic prognoses of tyre output by enterprises of the CIS countries are presented in Fig.. Competition on the tyre market is fairly great. For example, car tyres with a diameter at the rim seat of '', the production of which amounts about 7% of car tyre production, are being manufactured by enterprises (the number of models is ), and here the cost of a tyre varies from 7 roubles (Table ). TYRE QUALITY AS A FUNCTION OF STABILITY AND THE LEVEL OF PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIALS One of the main arguments in the competitive battle is the stability of quality. The consumer quality of tyres is determined by the correspondence of the level of technical T/ International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No.,

3 Table Comparative analysis of volumes of consumption of rubbers and production of synthetic rubbers worldwide (IRSG prognosis for ) Region, country R ubber consumption, Mt Synthetic rubber production, Mt Ratio of rubber consumption and synthetic rubber production, % Total Northern America..8 USA..5 7 Western Europe.. France.7. Germany.8. 7 Italy.. 7 Eastern Europe.. 7 Russia Asia Japan.85.5 China.. Korea.5. 5 Fig. Dynamics of production of synthetic rubbers in Russia: SKI- polyisoprene rubber; SKS butadiene styrene rubber; SKD polybutadiene rubber; output Table Production in CIS of car tyres with diameter at rim seat of ( data) Tyre size Number of models Number of works Tyre cost, roubles 75/75R /7R /5R 5 7 5/8R /7R Note. Total number of works, number of models solutions the consumer requirements, and also by the stability of the quality of tyres in the case of their mass production. In turn, the effectiveness of tyre production processes, and consequently their competitiveness, is determined by the quality of the materials used and by the stability of quality. The quality of tyres depends primarily on the quality of the feedsck purchased by the commercial and technical services, and also on the stability of the production processes. A high quality of feedsck and materials and, most importantly, its stability can be achieved by cooperation between the producers and consumers of feedsck and materials for the tyre industry. The most important trends of such cooperation are: revision of the current GOST standards and TU specifications, and their adaptation the international standards; activation of work by technical committees for standardisation at the Russian Standards Office; assimilation of up--date methods for controlling product quality on the basis of ISO-; information on the real indices of stability and the level of consumer properties of the products produced; expansion of applied research in this field. Let us examine several examples illustrating the role of feedsck stability and quality. Differences in technology International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No., T/

4 for producing butadiene rubbers manufactured by the Efremov Synthetic Rubbers Works and the Voronezhsintezkauchuk lead considerable differences in vulcanisation characteristics, and also in the properties of rubber compounds based on these rubbers. The same situation is observed in the case of rubber compounds based on butadiene styrene rubbers (the Voronezhsintezkauchuk, the Kauchuk (Sterlitamak), OOO Tol yattikauchuk ). The second most significant ingredient is carbon black. Table shows the volumes of production of different grades of carbon black (according the old classification) of four producers. These works account for over 7% of all the carbon black produced, mainly of grades P5, P, and P5 (over 8%). Updating of the product range has been fairly slow, and the volume of production of carbon black grades corresponding the new classification was 8% (Table 5). However, the Omsk and Yaroslavl works have converted over 5% of their products the output of carbon black of new grades, and this is always accompanied with an improvement in product quality. The quality of zinc oxide produced by various enterprises is also very different. According consumer Table Volumes of production of carbon black according old classification in black of carbon 'Omsk Carbon 'Yaroslavl' Carbon Volume of production, t Volgograd Carbon Black Works Nizhnekamsk Carbon Black Works Total (% of production of carbon black of old grades) P (8.) P (.5) P 85 8 (.) P (.) P (.) P (.) T otal 8 5 (5)* 5 8 (5)* 55 ()* 5 8 ()* 7 (7)* * The proportion of old carbon black grades produced by works in its production of old and new grades of carbon black Table 5 Volumes of production of carbon black according new classification in black of carbon 'Omsk Carbon 'Yaroslavl' Carbon Volume of production, t Volgograd Carbon Black Works Nizhnekamsk Carbon Black Works Total (% of production of carbon black of old grades) N (.8) N (.) N 8 (.) N7 7 5 (.7) N (.8) N (7.) N (.7) N 5 5 (.) N (.) N5 5 8 (.) N (.) T otal 8 55 ()* ()* ()* 5 ()* 8 8 (8)* * The proportion of old carbon black grades produced by works in its production of old and new grades of carbon black T/ International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No.,

5 assessment of this product, first place with respect consumer properties goes products of the Empils CJSC (Rosv-on-Don) (Table ). And even if it is not clear which enterprises occupy the next places, it can be asserted that the enterprises in the botm five lines in Table are producing poor-quality products. The properties of organic cobalt salts of different producers are also different (Table 7, according tyre works data). The cobalt content in the product varies from %, the softening point varies from C an almost non-melting product, and the luene solubility varies in a very wide range. The properties of thermoplastic materials used as process additives in tyre production and the effectiveness of their action also differ greatly (Table 8). Only products are fit for purpose, and often these additives have an adverse effect on the quality of the rubber compounds. PRIORITY TRENDS OF WORK IN THE FIELD OF MATERIALS SCIENCE Long-term requirements concerning the output characteristics of tyres improvement in fuel economy, safety, and durability determine the priority trends of work in the field of materials science, formulation and applied technology, and development and assimilation of Table Quality rating of zinc white of different producers (according tyre works data) Producer Stnadard documentation Average rating/number of consumers " Empils" CJSC (Rosv-on-Don GOST -88 / 7 " Lakokraska" JSC (Dnepropetrovsk) GOST -88 / PF "Oksid" CJSC (Chelyabinsk) Ratin g GOST -88 7/ " Lakma" CJSC (Kiev) GOST -88.7/ " Belotsink" (Belaya Tserkov, M. Skvirka) GOST -88 5/ Paint SP and Varnish Works (Tashkent) "BelKiba" (Belarus ) Zyryanovsk Integrated Lead Works JSC Vesna NN Trade and Industrial Association (Reshetikha, Novgorod region) GOST -88 5/ Low-nnage suppliers GOST -88 / BTs-M TU / GOST -88 5/ " Lakokraska" (Nizhnii Novgorod) BTsB- TU -- 8 / " Kaztsink" CJSC (Ust -Kamenogorsk) BTs- TU 7 RK / Table 7 Properties of organic cobalt salts produced by different enterprises P roducer Co content, wt.% T s oft, C Solubility in luene, % M anobond 8s Rodia (UK) C obalt naphthenate Nippon Mining (Japan). Insoluble Shefferd (USA). 5 7 Tisco (France). 5 5 C obalt naphthenate " Luch" Works (Podol sk). 8 D isolen K " Lyuminofor" (Stavropol ) 7. Insoluble " Sintez" JSC 5. A G- REM AG (Podol sk). Non-melting Insoluble M KS- Gilion (Moscow). Non-melting A G- REM AG (Podol sk). Non-melting Note. Total demand t/year; cost of t of product (Co content wt.%) US$ 8 International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No., T/5

6 Table 8 Range of thermoplastic materials used in tyre production as process additives Material Standard documentation Hydrocarbon resins P roducer Cost, roubles/t (without VAT) Styrene indene resin T U U -- 7 V iru Aromatika (Esnia) ( USD) Indene coumarene resin of grade B (Tsoft 8 C) Piroplast TU 8. TU Nizhnii Tagil Integrated Iron- and Steelworks 85 " Reshotinsk KZ" Plasticiser for rubber T U E E 7 TS:8 " Kiviter AS" (Esnia) Softener RST E E 5TU : K hts "Kivirand" Piroplast T U 8.8 "NKNKh", "Aviabor" Politer TU Plasticiser ADMT TU RB 7. 7 Okfor N TU 8.UkrSSR 5 8 FTO TU Pyrolysis product of DMTP Alkylphenolic resins " Slantsy" Works 5 "Khimvolokno" Production Association (Mogilev) Sterlitak Synthetic Works Asphaltene resin softeners Rubber ( USD) " VZOS" 7 Special bitumen "G" G OST 8 87 " Bitran" (Ukhta) Bitumen A- G OST 78 " Bitran" (Ukhta) ASMG TU 8 UkrSSR Composite Materials Works (Dashava) Resins based on wood chemical feedsck (~ USD) Pine rosin G OST 8 " Orgsintez", s. 7 Liquid rosin GOST 8 Rosin (TM) TU " Lesokhimik" s. "Neivo-Rudnyansk KZ", "Barnaul KZ", "Reshotinsk KZ" K otlassk TsBK " Selenginsk TsKK" new materials for the tyre industry. Programmes have been developed that are aimed at updating the product range of synthetic rubbers for the tyre industry. The use of new lithium and neodymium catalytic systems in the synthesis of polybutadienes must be pointed out. Such research is being carried out at the Voronezhsintezkauchuk, the Efremov Synthetic Rubber Works, and the Nizhnekamskneftekhim. Work is continuing on improving the consumer properties of emulsion polymerisation butadiene styrene rubber (reduction in hysteresis losses, improvement in wear resistance and adhesion characteristics, increase in the vulcanisation rate) by introducing functional groups with an optimum styrene content, by using a protein coagulation, etc. Such work is being carried out at the Voronezhsintezkauchuk and the Kauchuk (Sterlitamak). The switch new neodymium catalytic systems in the synthesis of polyisoprenes at the Kauchuk (Sterlitamak) has met with problems of an ecological nature and problems with the stability of the properties of the rubber. It must be pointed out that work on converting solution-polymerisation butadiene styrene rubber is going o slowly. A positive facr is that both the Tol yattikauchuk and the Nizhnekamskneftekhim are producing chlorinated butyl rubbers on a pilot-plant scale. T/ International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No.,

7 Of great importance in tyre production is the development, assimilation, and consequent expansion of the range of silicate fillers, and in the long term also alternative reinforcing fillers ensuring, in combination with polyfunctional modifiers (including bifunctional silanes) and rubbers with functional groups, the creation of rubber compounds with improved properties. At the Soda (Sterlitamak), systematic work is being carried out on improving the properties of precipitated silicate filler (PSF). The properties of trial batches of PSF are increasingly approaching the prescribed level of properties. To modify PSF, the use of bifunctional silanes, including at the production stage, is very promising. In the case of tread rubbers based on emulsionpolymerisation butadiene styrene rubbers, the consumer properties are improved by introducing 5 parts PSF, 5 parts carbon black, and bifunctional silanes. Here, there is a slight (5%) reduction in wear resistance, but the hysteresis losses are reduced considerably ( %). The use of rubber with functional groups when bifunctional silanes are used makes it possible achieve an improvement in wear resistance while retaining low hysteresis losses. When rubbers with functional groups are used in the presence of both PSF and the classic filler carbon black, there is an increase in the vulcanisation rate, and also an improvement in the service properties that are important the consumers. At the Voronezhsintezkauchuk, a protein coagulation of butadiene styrene rubber is now being assimilated, which is likewise improving the properties of the rubber. To solve the problem of durability as one of the determining consumer properties of tyres, it is necessary use new types of stabiliser that differ from those currently used in a lower volatility and extractability and ensure a greater resistance repeated strains. The effect of stabilisers on appearance and proneness sweating and contamination is very important. The appearance of new types of stabiliser is the result of cooperation between two works, the Volzhsk Orgsintez and the Azot, which are the largest producers of chemical additives for the rubber industry; NIIShP has agreed research programmes with them. It is more or less clear which products must be used as process additives, but unfortunately many ineffective products are used in the tyre industry. Thus, improve the adhesion of rubber mixes, different resins are introduced in them. Good results are given by the introduction of Okfor N, but it is o expensive. Trial specimens of resins of the alkylphenolic type with different contents of styrene residues in the para-position have been produced; when they are used it is possible improve adhesion considerably without adversely affecting the other properties of the rubber mixes. The results of investigations now being carried out make it possible consider that Russia has a new product with a good export potential not only within the CIS but also other countries. One of the problems related using rubber cord systems is the occurrence of defects at the metal cord/ rubber boundary. At present, most defects related the small-run failure of metal cord systems have been overcome. However, technological failures at a run of 5 km are due the metal cord system. To improve the efficiency of rubber metal cord systems, it is necessary: improve the consumer properties of the metal cord (increase its strength, improve its workability, improve the construction and quality of the coating); organise the production of a delayed-action vulcanisation accelerar sulphenamide accelerar DTs, the components of a resin-forming adhesion system based on hexamethoxymethylamine, more effective cobalt-containing adhesion promoters, and polymeric sulphur; the introduction of coating rubber mix formulations using new materials and production processes for their preparation and processing, including the process of tyre vulcanisation. The second problem is related the use of textile reinforcing materials. It is quite obvious that now, when one of the most important requirements is vehicle stability at high speeds, the use of low-modulus nylon- cord for car and small lorry tyres is ruled out. For the carcass of highspeed car tyres, a high-modulus cord is needed. Polyester is a cord of this kind. According data of the Nizhnekamskshin, polyester cord compared with nylon- cord possesses a higher rigidity (by a facr of.5 ) and lower shrinkage (by a facr of ), which affects the creep of the tyre during service. As regards aumobile stability at high speeds, tyres with polyester cord are superior tyres with nylon- cord by %. The breaking load and the resistance of the cord tensile compressive strain depend on the number of twists per metre. In choosing the number of twists, it is necessary find the optimum value ensuring a sufficiently high level of breaking load and fatigue strength. For single-ply radial car tyres, in order ensure a uniform distribution of warp cords, a two-component weft is used, ensuring a high modulus and at the same time high stretchability. Work on finding an optimum type of weft is continuing. The trends examined in this paper in improving the quality of materials for the rubber industry are only a part of the work being carried out, gether with producer enterprises and tyre works, at the Materials Science Department of NIIShP. We have now developed specifications for all types of material for car tyre rubber compounds, which list the requirements for the producer enterprises with respect the level, stability, and control methods of their product quality. The fulfilment of these conditions will make it possible improve considerably the consumer properties of home-produced car tyres. (No date given) International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 8, No., T/7