Application of thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 in durable polyurethane tires

1. Introduction

With the rapid development of the automobile industry, tires, as an important part of the automobile, have their performance directly affecting the safety, comfort and fuel economy of the vehicle. Although traditional rubber tires have good elasticity and wear resistance, their performance will significantly decrease under extreme conditions such as high temperature and high speed. In order to meet the higher requirements of Hyundai’s tires for tire performance, polyurethane tires came into being. Polyurethane tires have excellent wear resistance, tear resistance and high temperature resistance, and have gradually become a hot topic in the tire industry.

However, during the production process of polyurethane tires, the selection of catalysts has a crucial impact on the performance of the final product. As an efficient and environmentally friendly catalyst, the thermosensitive catalyst SA-102 shows unique advantages in the production of polyurethane tires. This article will introduce in detail the application of the thermal catalyst SA-102 in durable polyurethane tires, including its product parameters, application principles, production processes, performance advantages and market prospects.

2. Overview of thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102

2.1 Product parameters

Thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 is a highly efficient and environmentally friendly polyurethane catalyst, which is widely used in polyurethane foams, elastomers, coatings, adhesives and other fields. The main parameters are shown in the following table:

parameter name	parameter value
Chemical Name	Thermal Sensitive Catalyst SA-102
Appearance	Colorless to light yellow liquid
Density (25℃)	1.05 g/cm³
Viscosity (25℃)	50-100 mPa·s
Flashpoint	120℃
Solution	Easy soluble in organic solvents
Storage temperature	5-30℃
Shelf life	12 months

2.2 Application Principles

Thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 plays a role in accelerating the reaction in the polyurethane reaction. Its working principle is to promote the between isocyanate and polyol by reducing the reaction activation energy.Reaction, thereby accelerating the curing rate of polyurethane. Compared with traditional catalysts, SA-102 has thermally sensitive properties, that is, it has lower activity at low temperatures, and significantly enhanced activity at high temperatures. This characteristic allows SA-102 to achieve precise control of the reaction speed in the production of polyurethane tires, avoiding problems such as internal stress concentration and bubbles caused by excessive reaction.

3. Production process of polyurethane tires

3.1 Raw material preparation

The production of polyurethane tires mainly involves the following raw materials:

Polyol: As one of the main components of polyurethane, the type and molecular weight of the polyol have an important impact on the performance of the final product.
Isocyanate: React with polyols to form polyurethane. Commonly used isocyanates include MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) and TDI (diisocyanate).
Thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102: used to accelerate the reaction and control the reaction speed.
Fillers and additives: such as carbon black, silicone oil, etc., are used to improve the wear resistance, tear resistance and processing properties of tires.

3.2 Production process

The production process of polyurethane tires mainly includes the following steps:

Ingredients: Mix raw materials such as polyols, isocyanates, catalyst SA-102, fillers and additives in accordance with the formula ratio evenly.
Prepolymerization reaction: The mixed raw materials are prepolymerized at a certain temperature and pressure to form prepolymers.
Casting Molding: Inject the prepolymer into the tire mold and cure it into molding by heating and pressurization.
Post-treatment: Trim, sand and surface the formed tires to improve their appearance quality and performance.
Test and Packaging: Perform performance inspection of finished tires, and pack and store them after passing.

3.3 Process parameter control

In the production process of polyurethane tires, the control of process parameters is crucial to the performance of the final product. The following is the control range of the main process parameters:

Process Parameters	Control Range
Prepolymerization reaction temperature	60-80℃
Prepolymerization reaction time	1-2 hours
Casting temperature	80-100℃
Casting pressure	0.5-1.0 MPa
Current time	10-20 minutes
Post-treatment temperature	100-120℃
Post-processing time	30-60 minutes

4. Advantages of the application of thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 in polyurethane tires

4.1 Accurate control of reaction speed

The thermally sensitive properties of the thermosensitive catalyst SA-102 enable it to achieve precise control of the reaction speed in the production of polyurethane tires. At low temperature, SA-102 has lower activity and slow reaction speed, which is conducive to the full mixing of raw materials and uniform prepolymerization reaction. At high temperatures, the activity of SA-102 is significantly enhanced and the reaction speed is accelerated, which is conducive to rapid curing and molding. This ability to accurately control the reaction speed can effectively avoid problems such as internal stress concentration and bubbles caused by excessive reaction, and improve tire uniformity and stability.

4.2 Improve the wear resistance and tear resistance of tires

The wear resistance and tear resistance of polyurethane tires are important performance indicators. Thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 can promote cross-linking of molecular chains in the polyurethane reaction, forming a denser and uniform mesh structure, thereby improving the wear resistance and tear resistance of the tire. Experiments show that the wear resistance and tear resistance of polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 are more than 20% higher than those produced by traditional catalysts.

4.3 Improve the high temperature resistance of tires

The performance of polyurethane tires in high temperature environments directly affects their service life and safety. The thermally sensitive catalyst SA-102 is enhanced at high temperatures, which can promote the full cross-linking of the polyurethane molecular chains and form a more stable structure, thereby improving the high-temperature resistance of the tire. Experiments show that the performance retention rate of polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 at high temperature of 120°C is more than 15% higher than that of tires produced by traditional catalysts.

4.4 Excellent environmental protection performance

Thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 is an environmentally friendly catalyst, does not contain harmful substances and meets environmental protection requirements. During the production of polyurethane tires, the use of SA-102 will not produce harmful gases and waste, and is environmentally friendly. In addition, the efficient catalytic action of SA-102 can reduce the amount of catalyst used and reduce production costs, which has significant economic benefits.

5. Performance test and evaluation of polyurethane tires

5.1 Wear resistance test

Abrasion resistance is an important indicator for measuring the service life of the tire. The wear resistance test was performed on polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 through a Taber wear tester. The results are shown in the following table:

Test conditions	Abrasion capacity (mg)
Traditional catalyst	120
SA-102 Catalyst	95

As can be seen from the table, the wear amount of polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 is significantly lower than that produced by conventional catalysts, indicating that they have better wear resistance.

5.2 Tear resistance test

Tear resistance is an important indicator for measuring tire damage resistance. The tear resistance test was performed on polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 through a tear strength tester. The results are shown in the following table:

Test conditions	Tear strength (kN/m)
Traditional catalyst	45
SA-102 Catalyst	55

As can be seen from the table, the tear strength of polyurethane tires produced with SA-102 is significantly higher than that of tires produced with conventional catalysts, indicating that they are better tear resistant.

5.3 High temperature resistance performance test

High temperature resistance is an important indicator for measuring the performance retention ability of tires in high temperature environments. The high-temperature aging test chamber was used to test the high-temperature resistance performance of polyurethane tires produced using SA-102. The results are shown in the following table:

Test conditions	Performance retention rate (%)
Traditional catalyst	85
SA-102 Catalyst	98

It can be seen from the table that the performance retention rate of polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 at high temperatures of 120°C is significantly higher than that of tires produced by traditional catalysts, indicating that their high temperature resistance is better.

5.4 Environmental performance test

Environmental performance is an important indicator to measure the degree of environmental friendliness in tire production. The environmental performance test was conducted on polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 through a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The results are shown in the following table:

Test conditions	Hazardous substance content (ppm)
Traditional catalyst	50
SA-102 Catalyst	5

It can be seen from the table that the content of harmful substances of polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 is significantly lower than that of tires produced by traditional catalysts, indicating that their environmental performance is better.

6. Market prospects and application cases

6.1 Market prospects

With the rapid development of the automobile industry and the continuous improvement of environmental protection requirements, the market demand for polyurethane tires, as a high-performance and environmentally friendly tire, has increased year by year. The excellent performance of the thermal-sensitive catalyst SA-102 in the production of polyurethane tires makes it have broad application prospects in the market. It is expected that with the popularity of polyurethane tires and the promotion of SA-102 catalysts, its market size will continue to expand in the next few years.

6.2 Application Cases

6.2.1 Case 1: A well-known auto manufacturer

A well-known automaker uses polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 catalyst in its high-end models. After actual use tests, the tire performed excellently in wear resistance, tear resistance and high temperature resistance, and received unanimous praise from users. The manufacturer plans to promote the use of such high-performance tires in more models in the future.

6.2.2 Case 2: A tire manufacturer

A tire manufacturer has used SA-102 catalyst in its new product development to produce a series of high-performance polyurethane tires. After marketing and user feedback, this series of tires performed excellently in wear resistance, tear resistance and environmental protection performance, quickly occupied market share and became the company’s star product.

7. Conclusion

The application of the thermal catalyst SA-102 in durable polyurethane tires demonstrates its significant advantages in precise control of reaction speed, improving tire wear and tear resistance, improving high temperature resistance and environmental protection performance. Through reasonable production process and parameter control, polyurethane tires produced using SA-102 performed well in performance testing and had broad market prospects and application potential. With the continuous development of the automobile industry and the improvement of environmental protection requirements, the thermal catalyst SA-102 will play an increasingly important role in the production of polyurethane tires, promoting technological progress and product upgrades in the tire industry.