Performance Hydrocarbon Resins in Tread Formulations: The Next Generation

Hydrocarbon resins are oligomers with relatively high glass transition temperatures that are used in tire tread formulations to improve wet/dry grip properties, which is considered essential for improved safety and handling. Performance of a hydrocarbon resin is tied to its compatibility in the elastomer blend. A compatible resin increases compound hysteresis at braking frequencies to improve wet grip (WG), without significantly impacting hysteresis at rolling frequencies referred to as rolling resistance (RR).

In the current work, Eastman’s Impera^TM performance resins are evaluated in an sSBR/BR passenger car HP/UHP silica tread compound. Impera^TM 1500 series performance resins are known to provide a robust benchmark for WG-RR balance. In this talk, newly introduced Impera^TM 1600 series resins are shown to provide a 5% improvement in WG-RR balance, and under development next generation Impera^TM resins are shown to provide a 10% improvement compared to the 1500 series benchmark. The impact of resin molecular characteristics on the compatibility with the polymers used in the formulation are evaluated, and in turn, the effect of compatibility on compound viscoelastic properties are discussed. In summary, Eastman’s Impera^TM resins portfolio continues to evolve to provide tire compounders new differentiated resin solutions that would enable them to meet the ever growing WG-RR tradeoff improvement needs posed by regulatory requirements and consumer demands.