US 12,344,728 B2
Methods of preparing a composite having elastomer and filler
Yakov E. Kutsovsky, Arlington, MA (US); Martin C. Green, Boxborough, MA (US); Ping Zhang, Westford, MA (US); Dhaval A Doshi, Lexington, MA (US); Jiaxi Li, Nashua, NH (US); Michael D. Morris, Nashua, NH (US); Brian N. Hult, Arlington, MA (US); Ralph E. Dickinson, Dracut, MA (US); Irina S. Yurovskaya, Corpus Christi, TX (US); Frederick H. Rumpf, Billerica, MA (US); Satyan Choudhary, Billerica, MA (US); Hassan M. Ali, Andover, MA (US); Ani T. Nikova, Winchester, MA (US); Jincheng Xiong, Boxborough, MA (US); and Michael Beaulieu, Bolton, MA (US)
Assigned to Beyond Lotus LLC, Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed by Beyond Lotus LLC, Wilmington, DE (US)
Filed on Dec. 16, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/981,838.
Application 18/981,838 is a division of application No. 17/616,285, granted, now 12,209,170, previously published as PCT/US2020/036168, filed on Jun. 4, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/857,779, filed on Jun. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2025/0115735 A1, Apr. 10, 2025
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C08J 3/205 (2006.01); B29B 7/48 (2006.01); B29B 7/72 (2006.01); B29B 7/74 (2006.01); B29B 7/82 (2006.01); B29B 7/90 (2006.01); B60C 1/00 (2006.01); B60C 11/00 (2006.01); C08K 3/04 (2006.01); C08K 3/36 (2006.01); C08L 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC C08K 3/36 (2013.01) [B29B 7/48 (2013.01); B29B 7/726 (2013.01); B29B 7/7495 (2013.01); B29B 7/823 (2013.01); B29B 7/826 (2013.01); B29B 7/90 (2013.01); B60C 1/0016 (2013.01); B60C 11/00 (2013.01); C08K 3/04 (2013.01); B60C 2011/0025 (2013.01); C08K 2201/006 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
 
1. A method of preparing a composite, comprising:
(a) charging a mixer having one or more rotors with at least a solid elastomer and a wet filler comprising a filler and a liquid present in an amount of at least 15% by weight based on total weight of wet filler;
(b) in one or more mixing steps, mixing in the mixer, the at least the solid elastomer and the wet filler to form a mixture, and in at least one of said mixing steps, conducting said mixing at mixer temperatures controlled by at least one temperature-control means with the one or more rotors operating at a tip speed of at least 0.6 m/s for at least 50% of mixing time, and removing at least a portion of the liquid from the mixture by evaporation;
(c) discharging, from the mixer, the composite comprising the filler dispersed in the elastomer at a loading of at least 20 phr with a filler yield loss of no more than 10%, wherein the composite has a liquid content of no more than 10% by weight based on total weight of said composite.