JP7342470B2 - Prediction method for rubber-like elastic bodies - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and the like for predicting the performance of a rubber-like elastic body.

Patent Document 1 listed below provides a method for predicting a predetermined first performance of a rubber-like elastic body obtained by vulcanizing a polymer composition. In this method, first, the mixing ratio of materials, vulcanization conditions, and first performance are input into a computer for multiple types of rubber-like elastic bodies made by vulcanizing polymer compositions made by mixing some of the materials. be exposed. Next, a step is performed in which the computer constructs an approximate response function indicating the relationship between the material blending ratio, the vulcanization conditions, and the first performance. Then, a step is performed in which the computer calculates the first performance of the rubber-like elastic body to be evaluated based on the blending ratio of the rubber-like elastic body to be evaluated, the vulcanization conditions, and the approximate response function.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-147460

Although the above method can predict the first performance, there is still room for further improvement in the prediction accuracy.

As a result of intensive research, the inventors found that the physical quantity of the polymer composition during kneading affects the first performance. The inventors have also found that by considering this physical quantity, the first performance can be predicted with high accuracy.

The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its main purpose is to provide a method etc. that can accurately predict the first performance of a rubber-like elastic body.

The present invention provides a first rubber obtained through the steps of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition, and vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions. A method for predicting a predetermined first performance of a shaped elastic body, the method comprising: a plurality of second material groups comprising a plurality of types of second material groups including one or more polymers selected from the first material group; a step of inputting first data including the blending contents of the second polymer composition group of the type; a step of inputting second data including the kneading conditions of the second polymer composition group into the computer; inputting third data including physical quantities during kneading of the second polymer composition group; vulcanization conditions for a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups obtained from the second polymer composition group; inputting fourth data including the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body group into the computer; inputting fifth data including the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body group into the computer; a step of constructing a first approximate response function representing the first material group; 1 vulcanization conditions, and the computer inputs the composition of the first material group, the kneading conditions, the physical quantities during kneading, the first vulcanization conditions, and the first approximate response function. The method is characterized in that it includes a step of calculating the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body.

In the rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to the present invention, prior to the step of inputting physical quantities during kneading of the first material group, the computer generates a second approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to third data. and a step of the computer calculating a physical quantity during kneading of the first material group based on the blending contents and kneading conditions of the first material group, and the second approximate response function. The step of inputting the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group may include the step of inputting the calculated physical quantity.

In the rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to the present invention, the step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced, and a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced. A kneader having at least one rotor rotating within a chamber is used, and the physical quantity during kneading may include at least one of the torque of the rotor and the temperature within the chamber.

In the rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to the present invention, the first material group and the second material group include a plurality of types of compounding agents including carbon black, and the first material group or the second material group In the step of kneading the first material group or the second material group, a kneading machine having a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is charged and at least one rotor rotating within the chamber is used, and the kneading machine is used. The step of kneading the second material group includes a first step of starting kneading of the polymer and the compounding agent and then kneading until the torque of the rotor reaches a maximum, and after the first step, the step of kneading the polymer and the compounding agent. The method may include a second step of kneading the polymer and the compounding agent, and the physical quantity during the kneading may include the physical quantity during the first step and the physical amount during the second step.

In the rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to the present invention, the step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes masticating the polymer that does not contain the compounding agent prior to the first step. The method may further include a third step, and the physical quantity during the kneading may further include the physical quantity during the third step.

In the rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to the present invention, the step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced, and a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced. A kneading machine having at least one rotor rotating in a chamber is used, and the kneading conditions include a filling rate of the first material group or the second material group with respect to the volume of the chamber, a rotation speed of the rotor, It may also include at least one of the conditions for stopping kneading.

In the rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to the present invention, the first performance may include at least one of a storage modulus E', a loss modulus E'', and a loss tangent tan δ.

The present invention is manufactured through a step of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition, and a step of vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions. For predicting at least one of the blending content of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions for a first rubber-like elastic body having physical property values of a predetermined first performance. 2, wherein first data including the formulation contents of a plurality of second polymer composition groups comprising a plurality of second material groups containing one or more polymers selected from the first material group is stored in a computer. a step of inputting second data including kneading conditions of the second polymer composition group into the computer; third data including the physical quantity at the time of kneading of the second polymer composition group into the computer; a step of inputting into the computer fourth data including vulcanization conditions for a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups obtained from the second polymer composition group; a step of inputting fifth data including the first performance of the two rubber-like elastic body groups; a step of the computer constructing a first approximate response function indicating a relationship between at least the first to fifth data; inputting the physical property values of the first performance, and the computer determining the blending content and kneading of the first material group based on the first approximate response function and the physical property values of the first performance; The method is characterized by including a step of calculating at least one of conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and the first vulcanization conditions.

The rubber-like elastic body prediction method of the first invention includes a physical quantity during kneading of the second polymer composition group in constructing the first approximate response function used to calculate the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body. Third data is used. This physical quantity during kneading influences the first performance of the plurality of types of second rubbery elastic body group obtained from the second polymer composition group. Therefore, the method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body of the first invention is capable of accurately predicting the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body by taking into account the physical quantity during kneading that affects the first performance. can.

The method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body according to the second invention includes calculation of the composition, etc. of the first material group necessary for manufacturing the first rubber-like elastic body having physical property values of the first performance. Third data including physical quantities during kneading of the second polymer composition group is used in constructing the first approximate response function used for. This physical quantity during kneading influences the first performance of the plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body group obtained from the second polymer composition group. Therefore, the method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body according to the second aspect of the invention can accurately predict the blending content of the first material group, taking into account the physical quantities during kneading that affect the first performance.

It is a partial sectional view showing an example of a kneading machine. It is a graph showing an example of the relationship between rotor torque, rotor rotational speed, ram position, and chamber temperature, and time. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a computer for executing a rubber-like elastic body prediction method. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the prediction method of a rubber-like elastic body. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of an update process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the prediction method of the rubber-like elastic body of other embodiments of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the prediction method of the rubber-like elastic body of further another embodiment of this invention. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the predicted value of the first performance and the actual measured value of the first performance in Example 1. FIG. It is a graph showing the relationship between the predicted value of the first performance and the actual measured value of the first performance in a comparative example.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.
The rubber-like elastic body prediction method (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "prediction method") of the present embodiment is for predicting a predetermined first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body.

The first rubber-like elastic body is obtained through a step of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition, and a step of vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions. In this embodiment, the first rubbery elastic body and the first polymer composition are configured as an unknown rubbery elastic body and polymer composition that do not actually exist. Therefore, the physical property value of the first performance possessed by the first rubber-like elastic body is also unknown.

The first performance is appropriately selected as long as it indicates the performance of the first rubber-like elastic body. The first performance can include, for example, at least one of a storage modulus E', a loss modulus E'', and a loss tangent tan δ.The first performance of this embodiment includes all of these. Note that the first performance is not limited to such aspects, and may include physical properties that are important in a product formed from the first rubber-like elastic body.

The first polymer composition of this embodiment is exemplified by unvulcanized rubber, but is not limited thereto. The first material group constituting the first polymer composition includes a plurality of first materials. The first material group of this embodiment includes one or more polymers and compounding agents.

The polymer is, for example, an unvulcanized raw material rubber that is blended into a general polymer composition (in this embodiment, unvulcanized rubber). The raw material rubber is selected from, for example, natural rubber (NR), butadiene rubber (BR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and the like. On the other hand, the compounding materials are selected from, for example, fillers such as carbon black and silica, oils, processing aids, silane coupling agents, sulfur, and vulcanization accelerators.

A kneader is used in the step of kneading the first material group (second material group to be described later). FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing an example of a kneading machine 2. As shown in FIG.

The kneading machine 2 includes a chamber 3 into which a first material group (second material group to be described later) is introduced, and at least one (in this embodiment, two) rotors 4 that rotate within the chamber 3. ing. The chamber 3 is partitioned between the casing 5 and the rotor 4. The chamber 3 of this embodiment is formed in a substantially figure-eight shape with a horizontal cross section.

A ram 6 is provided in the upper part of the casing 5 for charging a first material group (a second material group to be described later) into the chamber 3. On the other hand, in the lower part of the casing 5, a discharge part 7 is provided for discharging the first polymer composition (second polymer composition described later) kneaded in the chamber 3.

In the present embodiment, in the step of kneading the first material group (second material group described later), for example, the torque of the rotor reaches its maximum after starting kneading of the polymer and the compound containing carbon black ( The method includes a first step U1 of kneading up to BIT (Black Incorporation Time), and a second step U2 of kneading the polymer and compounding agents after the first step U1. Further, the step of kneading the first material group further includes, prior to the first step U1, a third step U3 of masticating a polymer containing no compounding agent. Figure 2 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between rotor torque (Nm), rotor rotational speed (rpm), ram position (cm), chamber temperature (°C), and time (seconds). be.

As shown in FIG. 2, first, in the third step U3, a polymer (not shown) is charged from the ram 6 (shown in FIG. 1), and then the ram 6 is opened (i.e., the ram 6 is raised). state), the polymer is masticated. Next, in the first step U1 performed after the third step U3, after the compounding agent containing carbon black is introduced from the ram 6, the polymer is The compounding agents are kneaded.

Next, in the second step U2, the polymer and the compounding agent are kneaded following the first step U1. In the second step U2, a step may be performed in which the ram 6 is opened in the middle of kneading and the compounding agent (not shown) etc. attached to the ram 6 (shown in FIG. 1) is thrown into the chamber 3. . After the second step U2, a first polymer composition (second polymer composition, described below) obtained by kneading the first material group (second material group, described later) is discharged from the discharge section 7.

In each of the first process U1 to the third process U3, physical quantities during kneading of a plurality of first material groups (second material group to be described later) are determined. Physical quantities during kneading include, for example, the torque of the rotor and the temperature within the chamber, and can be measured as appropriate. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotation speed R2 (rpm) of the rotor and the position of the ram 6 (shown in FIG. 1) are determined.

The rotor torque T (Nm) is calculated using the following formula (Nm) based on the power consumption W (kW) of a motor (not shown) that rotates the rotor 4 (shown in FIG. 1) and the rotation speed R1 (rpm) of the motor. 1) can be calculated.
T=W×1000/(R1×2×3.14/60)…(1)

The temperature inside the chamber can be measured by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the chamber 3 shown in FIG. The rotation speed R2 (rpm) of the rotor can be determined by multiplying the rotation speed R1 of the motor by the reduction ratio. The position of the ram 6 (shown in FIG. 1) can be measured, for example, with a laser displacement meter (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, physical quantities during kneading (rotor torque and temperature in the chamber) tend to differ between the first step U1 and the third step U3. In the first step U1, when the carbon black is embedded in the rubber by the rotation of the rotor 4, a large rubber lump is formed, and the torque of the rotor becomes maximum (BIT (Black Incorporation Time)). In the second step U2, the torque of the rotor gradually decreases over time.

On the other hand, the temperature inside the chamber increases over time from the first step U1 to the second step U2. This increase in temperature within the chamber accelerates the reaction between the polymer and the compounding agents (eg, silica and silane coupling agent).

In this way, changes in torque and temperature are important indicators for managing the kneading of the first material group (second material group described later), and changes in the first polymer composition (second polymer composition described later) after kneading. It affects the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body (second rubber-like elastic body) obtained by vulcanizing the rubber-like elastic body.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the computer 1 for executing the rubber-like elastic body prediction method. In the prediction method of this embodiment, a computer 1 is used. The computer 1 includes a main body 1a, a keyboard 1b, a mouse 1c, and a display device 1d. The main body 1a is provided with, for example, a processing unit (CPU), a ROM, a working memory, a storage device such as a magnetic disk, and disk drive devices 1a1 and 1a2. The storage device stores in advance software and the like for executing the prediction method of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the rubber-like elastic body prediction method. In the prediction method of this embodiment, first data including the formulation contents of a plurality of types of second polymer composition groups is input into the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 2) (step S1).

The second polymer composition group includes multiple types of second polymer compositions. Each second polymer composition is obtained by kneading a plurality of types of second material groups. By vulcanizing these second polymer compositions, a plurality of types of second rubbery elastic bodies (second rubbery elastic body group) can be obtained. In this embodiment, each second polymer composition and each second rubber-like elastic body are different from the unknown first polymer composition and the first rubber-like elastic body, and each second polymer composition and each second rubber-like elastic body are actually known polymers that exist. The composition is configured as a rubber-like elastic body.

The second material group includes a plurality of second materials. The second material group of this embodiment includes one or more polymers selected from the first material group. As a result, since the polymer constituting the first polymer composition can be included in the polymer constituting the second polymer composition, it is possible to predict the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body in step S6 described below. It is possible to construct a first approximate response function with high accuracy. The types of polymers, etc. are as described above. Furthermore, the second material group includes the above-mentioned compounding agent.

The blending contents of the plurality of types of second polymer composition groups include information regarding the molecules of each second material and the blending ratio of the second material for each second polymer composition. Information regarding molecules can be obtained as appropriate based on the description in Patent Document 1 mentioned above. The contents of these formulations are stored in the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3).

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, second data including kneading conditions for a plurality of types of second polymer composition groups (each second rubber-like elastic body) is input into the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3). (Step S2). The kneading conditions can be appropriately selected as long as they are conditions used for kneading the second material group constituting each second polymer composition. The kneading conditions of this embodiment include at least one of the filling rate of the second material group with respect to the volume of the chamber 3 (shown in FIG. 1), the rotation speed of the rotor 4 (shown in FIG. 1), and the kneading stop condition. It is. Such kneading conditions affect the physical quantities of each second polymer composition during kneading, and in turn affect the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body obtained from the second polymer composition. .

The second data of this embodiment includes all of the filling rate of the second material group with respect to the volume of the chamber 3 (shown in FIG. 1), the rotation speed of the rotor 4 (shown in FIG. 1), and the kneading stop condition. It is desirable that As a result, in the prediction method of this embodiment, many parameters are set as the second data, so it is difficult to construct a first approximate response function that can accurately predict the first performance in step S6, which will be described later. It becomes possible.

The volume of the chamber 3 (shown in FIG. 1) is based on the specifications provided by the manufacturer of the kneader 2. Based on the volume of this chamber 3, the filling rate of the second material group is determined. The rotor rotation speed may be set to be different for each of the first process U1 to the third process U3 shown in FIG. 2.

The kneading stop condition is a condition for stopping kneading when the temperature in the chamber reaches a predetermined temperature. The kneading stop conditions can be set as appropriate. The kneading stop conditions of this embodiment include a first kneading stop condition and a second kneading stop condition.

The first kneading stop condition is such that the ram 6 (shown in FIG. 1) is opened during the kneading of the second material group and the compounding agent (not shown) etc. attached to the ram 6 is thrown into the chamber 3. This is the condition. The temperature of the first kneading stop condition in this embodiment is set, for example, to 110 to 130°C (120°C in this embodiment). The second kneading stop condition is a condition for stopping kneading of the second material group and discharging the second polymer composition from the discharge section 7. The temperature of the second kneading stop condition in this embodiment is set, for example, to 145 to 165°C (155°C in this embodiment).

These kneading conditions are not limited to such embodiments, and can be appropriately obtained depending on the performance of the kneader 2 and the like. These kneading conditions are stored in the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3).

Next, in the prediction method of the present embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) is provided with third data including physical quantities during kneading of a plurality of types of second polymer composition groups (each second rubber-like elastic body). It is input (step S3). The physical quantity during kneading can be appropriately selected as long as it is a physical quantity that can be obtained during kneading for the second material group constituting each second polymer composition. The physical quantity in this embodiment includes at least one of the torque of the rotor and the temperature within the chamber. Such physical quantities change the reaction rate and reaction amount of the plurality of types of second material group, and in turn affect the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body obtained from the second polymer composition. .

It is desirable that the third data include both the rotor torque and the temperature within the chamber. The method for obtaining the rotor torque and the temperature in the chamber is as described above. As a result, in the prediction method of this embodiment, many parameters are set as the third data, so it is difficult to construct a first approximate response function that can accurately predict the first performance in step S6, which will be described later. It becomes possible.

As shown in FIG. 2, the physical quantities during kneading tend to differ for each kneading step (first step U1 to third step U3). Therefore, it is desirable that the physical quantities during kneading include the physical quantities obtained in each of the first to third kneading processes U1 to U3. In particular, the physical quantities in the first step U1 and the second step U2, in which the polymer and compounding agents are kneaded, tend to differ depending on the type and blending ratio of the polymer and compounding agents. Therefore, it is desirable that the physical quantities during kneading include the physical quantities during the first step U1 and the physical quantities during the second step U2.

Furthermore, the physical quantity of the third step U3 of masticating the polymer tends to vary depending on the type of polymer. Therefore, the physical quantities during kneading may further include the physical quantities during the third step U3. In this embodiment, the physical quantity at the first process U1, the physical quantity at the second process U2, and the physical quantity at the third process U3 are included.

The torque of the rotor and the temperature in the chamber during the first step U1 are input as appropriate based on the torque and the temperature in the chamber acquired during the first step U1. As the rotor torque of this embodiment, the integral value of the torque measured during the first step U1 is input to the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3). Note that while the ram 6 shown in FIG. 1 is open (raised), there is a tendency that the polymer etc. cannot be sufficiently kneaded. For this reason, it is desirable that the torque integral value be calculated for the torque while the ram 6 is closed (lowered).

On the other hand, as the temperature inside the chamber, the average value of the temperatures inside the chamber measured during the first step U1 is input into the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3).

At the second step U2 and at the third step U3, the rotor torque and the chamber temperature can be determined using the same procedure as the rotor torque and chamber temperature at the first step U1. and is input into the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3).

In addition, in the step of kneading the first material group (the same applies to the second material group described later), the second step U2 and the third step U3 are performed alternately by dividing the compounding ingredients or re-kneading (remilling). In this case, the average value obtained from the total value of the physical quantities of all the second process U2 and the average value calculated from the total value of the physical quantities of all the third process U3 are the physical quantities at the second process U2, It may also be input into the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) as a physical quantity in the third step U3.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) is provided with fourth data including vulcanization conditions for a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups (each second rubber-like elastic body). is input (step S4). The second rubber-like elastic body group includes a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic bodies. Each second rubber-like elastic body is obtained by vulcanizing a plurality of types of second polymer compositions.

The vulcanization conditions of this embodiment are the temperature conditions and the like set at the time of vulcanization for each second polymer composition. Such vulcanization conditions change the reaction rate and reaction amount during vulcanization of each second polymer composition, and directly affect the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body. The vulcanization conditions of this embodiment are set based on the vulcanization temperature curve of each second polymer composition. The details of the vulcanization conditions are as described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. The vulcanization conditions are stored in the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3).

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) is provided with fifth data including the first performance of a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups (each second rubber-like elastic body). is input (step S5). As described above, the first performance includes at least one of the storage modulus E', the loss modulus E'', and the loss tangent tan δ, and in this embodiment, all of these are included. , the first performance (storage modulus E', loss modulus E'', and loss tangent tan δ) of each second rubber-like elastic body is inputted to the computer 1 as fifth data. Note that the storage modulus E', the loss modulus E'', and the loss tangent tan δ can be measured based on the description in Patent Document 1 mentioned above.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) constructs a first approximate response function that indicates the relationship between at least the first to fifth data (step S6). In this embodiment, a first approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to fifth data is constructed. In addition, in step S6, for example, a first approximate response function indicating the relationship between them is calculated using the first to fifth data and data different from the first to fifth data (data regarding the second polymer composition group). May be constructed.

In step S6 of this embodiment, it is desirable that information regarding the molecules of the second rubber-like elastic body group (each second rubber-like elastic body) is first calculated prior to constructing the first approximate response function. The information regarding the molecules of each second rubber-like elastic body is calculated using the formulation content of the second polymer composition group of the first data (information regarding the molecules of each second material and the mixture ratio of the second material). be done. The information about the molecules of each second rubber-like elastic body is calculated by weighted averaging of the information about the molecules of each second material based on the blending ratio (filling amount) of the second material of the second rubber-like elastic body. be done. As a result, the information regarding the molecules of each second rubber-like elastic body can be approximated to the information regarding the molecules of each second material of the actual second rubber-like elastic body even if it is not actually measured. Increases in time and costs can be suppressed. The method for calculating information regarding the molecules of each second rubber-like elastic body is as described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above.

Next, in step S6 of this embodiment, first data (blending contents of each second polymer composition), second data (kneading conditions of each second polymer composition), third data (each second polymer composition) physical quantities during kneading of the group), fourth data (vulcanization conditions for each second rubber-like elastic body), fifth data (first performance of each second rubber-like elastic body), and each second rubber-like elastic body. A first approximate response function is generated using information about the molecules of the elastic body. Such a first approximate response function can be predicted by, for example, complementing the first performance of the unknown first rubber-like elastic body with the known first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body. Therefore, by constructing such a first approximate response function in advance, it is possible to predict the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body without actually manufacturing the first rubber-like elastic body. .

Since the first approximate response function is constructed using the third data including the physical quantities during kneading of the second polymer composition group, it is possible to take into account the physical quantities during kneading that affect the first performance. Therefore, the first approximate response function is useful for accurately predicting the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body. Furthermore, since the first approximate response function is constructed using the fourth data including the vulcanization conditions of the second rubber-like elastic body group, it is possible to further consider the vulcanization conditions that affect the first performance. .

The first approximate response function can be constructed in a variety of ways according to convention. For the first approximate response function, for example, response surface methodology (RSM), radial basis function (RBF), or Kriging method is preferably used. Although the approximation accuracy of the first approximation response function improves in the order of RSM, RBF, and Kriging, the calculation cost also increases. For this reason, RBF, which has an excellent balance between accuracy and cost, is used as the first approximate response function in this embodiment. Details of the RBF are as described in Patent Document 1 above. Note that the first approximate response function may be constructed by deep learning in which the intermediate layer of the neural network is multilayered in order to improve the ability to respond to nonlinearity.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, it is determined whether the accuracy of the first approximate response function is good or not (step S7). The accuracy of the first approximate response function can be determined as appropriate. In step S7, a blind test is performed on the first approximate response function. The blind test in this embodiment is performed by the computer 1, but may also be performed by an operator or the like.

In step S7 of this embodiment, first, one second rubber-like elastic body is selected from the second rubber-like elastic body group (multiple types of second rubber-like elastic bodies). Next, in step S7, a first approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to fifth data is constructed for the remaining second rubber-like elastic bodies that have not been selected. The first approximate response function constructed in step S7 is constructed independently from the first approximate response function constructed in step S6 described above. Next, in step S7, information regarding the content of the second polymer composition, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, vulcanization conditions, and molecules for the selected second rubber-like elastic body is provided in step S7. is substituted into the first approximate response function constructed by . Thereby, in step S7, the first performance of the selected second rubber-like elastic body is calculated. Information regarding the molecules of the second rubber-like elasticity is obtained by the above-mentioned procedure (Equation (3) of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1).

In step S7 of this embodiment, the first performance is calculated for a plurality of second rubber-like elastic bodies among the second rubber-like elastic body group based on the above procedure. Then, in step S7, the calculated first performance and the actual first performance are compared for the plurality of second rubber-like elastic bodies. If the correlation coefficient between the calculated first performance and the actual first performance is within a predetermined tolerance range, it is determined that the accuracy of the first approximate response function is good.

The allowable range can be set as appropriate depending on the required calculation accuracy. In this embodiment, for example, if the correlation coefficient is 0.75 or more, preferably 0.90 or more, it is determined that the accuracy of the first approximate response function is good.

In step S7, if it is determined that the accuracy of the first approximate response function is good ("Y" in step S7), the next step S8 is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the accuracy of the first approximate response function is not good ("N" in step S7), a step (update step) S9 of updating the first to fifth data is performed, and the updated A first approximate response function is reconstructed using the first to fifth data (step S6). FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the update step S9.

In the update step S9 of this embodiment, first, the formulation content of a new second polymer composition (i.e., a known second polymer composition not included in the first data) is added to the first data ( Step S91). The number of second polymer compositions to be added can be set as appropriate. Next, in the updating step S9 of this embodiment, the kneading conditions for the new second polymer composition added to the first data are added to the second data (step S92). Next, in the updating step S9 of this embodiment, the physical quantity at the time of kneading of the new second polymer composition added to the first data is added to the third data (step S93). Next, in the updating step S9 of this embodiment, the downstream conditions for the new second rubber-like elastic body obtained from the second polymer composition added to the first data are added to the fourth data ( Step S94). Next, in the updating step S9 of this embodiment, the first performance of the new second rubber-like elastic body added to the fourth data is added to the fifth data (step S95). Then, as shown in FIG. 4, in step S6 performed after the updating step S9, the first approximate response function is reconstructed using the updated first to fifth data.

In this way, in the prediction method of this embodiment, by performing a blind test, it is possible to determine whether the accuracy of the first approximate response function is good or bad. If it is determined that the accuracy is not good, the first to fifth data can be updated to reconstruct the first approximate response function until the accuracy becomes good. Thereby, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the first approximate response function can be constructed with high accuracy. Note that the blind test may be conducted for all the second polymer compositions included in the second polymer composition group.

Next, in the prediction method of the present embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) contains the blending contents of the first material group, the kneading conditions of the first material group, and the physical quantities during kneading of the first material group. The first vulcanization conditions are input (step S8). As described above, the first rubber-like elastic body of this embodiment is an unknown rubber-like elastic body that does not actually exist. These blending contents, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions can be set as appropriate.

The content of the first material group of the present embodiment includes information regarding molecules of the plurality of first material groups (each first material) constituting the first polymer composition (first rubber-like elastic body). , and the blending ratio are set. Each first material of this embodiment is included in the second material group of the first data.

The kneading conditions for the first material group in this embodiment include the kneading conditions scheduled for kneading the first material group (in this example, the filling rate of the first material group with respect to the volume of the chamber 3, the rotation speed of the rotor 4, , and kneading stop conditions) are set.

The physical quantities during kneading of the first material group in this embodiment include the physical quantities when kneading the first material group (in this example, the torque of the rotor and the The predicted value of temperature) is set. This predicted value can be set as appropriate, for example, by selecting the kneading conditions for the second polymer composition that are similar to the kneading conditions for the first material group from among a plurality of kneading conditions included in the second data. The physical quantity during kneading of the first material group may be predicted and set from the physical quantity during kneading of the second polymer composition kneaded under the kneading conditions. In addition, if there are multiple kneading conditions for the second polymer composition that are similar to the kneading conditions for the first material group, the average value of the physical quantities during kneading of the second polymer composition kneaded under those kneading conditions is , may be set as a physical quantity during kneading of the first material group.

The first vulcanization conditions are set as the vulcanization conditions scheduled for vulcanization of the first polymer composition. Details of the vulcanization conditions are as described above. Furthermore, in step S8 of this embodiment, information regarding molecules of the first rubber-like elastic body is input. Information regarding the molecules can be obtained using the same procedure as the information regarding the molecules of the second rubber-like elastic body.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) calculates the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body (step S10). In step S10, the first rubber-like elastic body is determined based on the blending contents of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions input in step S8, and the first approximate response function. A first performance is calculated.

In step S10 of the present embodiment, information regarding the blending content of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, first vulcanization conditions, and molecules of the first rubber-like elastic body input in step S8 is Substituted into the first approximate response function. Thereby, in step S10, the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body can be calculated.

The first approximate response function calculates the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body that is not included in the second rubber-like elastic body group (multiple types of second rubber-like elastic bodies). , for making predictions by supplementing with the first performance of each second rubber-like elastic body. Therefore, in step S10, information regarding the blending contents of the first material group constituting the first rubbery elastic body, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, first vulcanization conditions, and molecules of the first rubbery elastic body is obtained. , the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body (in this example, the storage modulus E', the loss modulus E'', and the loss tangent tan δ) can be easily calculated (predicted) by being substituted into the first approximate response function. )can do.

Third data including physical quantities during kneading of the second polymer composition group is used to construct the first approximate response function. As a result, the prediction method of the present embodiment can accurately predict the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body by taking into account the physical quantity during kneading of the second polymer composition group that affects the first performance. can. Further, fourth data including the vulcanization conditions of the second rubber-like elastic body group is used to construct the first approximate response function. As a result, the prediction method of this embodiment can take into account not only the physical quantities during kneading but also the vulcanization conditions that affect the first performance, so it can accurately predict the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body. can do.

In this way, the prediction method of this embodiment can easily predict the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body without manufacturing the first rubber-like elastic body. Therefore, the prediction method of this embodiment can significantly reduce the development cost of a rubber-like elastic body. Further, the first performance of the present embodiment is used to predict performance such as durability, abrasion resistance, or rolling resistance of a rubber product (for example, a tire) formed from the first rubber-like elastic body. This makes it useful for the design of rubber products.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, it is determined whether the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body is good or not (step S11). A judgment as to whether the first performance is good or not is made as appropriate depending on the product formed from the first rubber-like elastic body. The determination as to whether the first performance is good may be made by the computer 1 or may be made by the operator.

In step S11, if it is determined that the first performance is good ("Y" in step S11), the blending content of the first material group input in step S8, the kneading conditions of the first material group, and the first A first rubber-like elastic body (rubber product) is manufactured based on the physical quantities during kneading of the material group and the first vulcanization conditions (step S12).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the first performance is not good ("N" in step S11), the blending content of the first material group, the kneading conditions of the first material group, the kneading time of the first material group At least one of the physical quantity and the first vulcanization conditions is changed (step S13), and steps S10 and S11 are performed again. Thereby, with the prediction method of this embodiment, it is possible to manufacture the first rubber-like elastic body having the desired first performance.

In step S8 of the embodiments so far, the predicted value of the physical quantity when kneading the first material group was set as the physical quantity when kneading the first material group based on the kneading conditions of the first material group. , but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group may be calculated based on the second approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to third data. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a prediction method according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the previous embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation may be omitted.

In the prediction method of this embodiment, prior to the step S8 of inputting physical quantities during kneading of the first material group, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) calculates a second approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to third data. Construct (step S14). In step S14, first data (blending contents of each second polymer composition), second data (kneading conditions of each second polymer composition), and third data (during kneading of each second polymer composition group) A second approximate response function is generated using the physical quantities (physical quantities). Such a second approximate response function can be used, for example, to convert the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group constituting the unknown first polymer composition into the physical quantity of the known second polymer composition group (multiple types of second polymer compositions). ) can be predicted by complementing it with the physical quantities during kneading. Therefore, by constructing such a second approximate response function in advance, it is possible to easily predict the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group.

The second approximate response function, like the first approximate response function, can be constructed in a variety of ways. As with the first approximate response function, RBF is used as the second approximate response function in this embodiment.

In the prediction method of this embodiment, after step S14 of constructing the second approximate response function, it may be determined whether the accuracy of the second approximate response function is good. Although the accuracy of the second approximate response function can be determined as appropriate, it is preferable to conduct a blind test as with the first approximate response function. The blind test of the second approximate response function can be performed using the same procedure as the blind test of the first approximate response function described in the previous embodiments.

If the blind test of the second approximate response function is not satisfactory, it is desirable to update the first to fifth data and reconstruct the second approximate response function, similarly to the updating step S9. Thereby, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the second approximate response function can be constructed with high accuracy.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the composition of the first material group and the kneading conditions are input to the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) (step S15). The first rubber-like elastic body of this embodiment is an unknown rubber-like elastic body that does not actually exist. These blending contents and kneading conditions can be appropriately set as in step S8 of the previous embodiments.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) calculates the kneading time of the first material group based on the blending contents and kneading conditions of the first material group, and the second approximate response function. The physical quantity is calculated (step S16). In step S16, the blending details and kneading conditions of the first material group input in step S15 are substituted into the second approximate response function. Thereby, in step S16, the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group can be calculated.

The second approximate response function is, for a first polymer composition that is not included in the second polymer composition group (multiple types of second polymer compositions), the kneading of the first material group constituting the first polymer composition. This is for predicting the physical quantity at the time of kneading by complementing it with the physical quantity at the time of kneading of each second polymer composition. Therefore, in step S16, the blending contents and kneading conditions of the first material group are substituted into the second approximate response function, so that the physical quantities during kneading of the first material group (in this example, rotor torque and The temperature inside the chamber can be easily calculated (predicted). The calculated physical quantity during kneading of the first material group is input as the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group in the next step S8.

In this way, in the prediction method of this embodiment, it is possible to predict the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group using the second approximate response function. Compared to the embodiment in which the physical quantity is predicted, the physical quantity at the time of kneading of the first material group can be uniquely determined without being influenced by the operator's experience or intuition. Therefore, with the prediction method of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent variations in the prediction of the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body.

Further, in step S13 of this embodiment, it is desirable that the physical quantities during kneading predicted using the second approximate response function be used for updating the physical quantities during kneading of the first material group.

In the embodiments so far, a method for predicting the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body has been exemplified, but the method is not limited to such an aspect. For example, for the first rubber-like elastic body having the physical property value of the first performance, at least one of the blending contents of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions may be predicted. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of still another rubber-like elastic body prediction method of the present invention. In addition, in this embodiment, the same components as those in the previous embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

In the prediction method of this embodiment, after it is determined that the first approximate response function is good in step S7 ("Y" in step S7), the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) is asked to calculate the first performance. Physical property values are input (step S17). The physical property value of the first performance is required for a first rubber-like elastic body that is not included in the second rubber-like elastic body group (multiple types of second rubber-like elastic bodies). This is the physical property value of the first performance. In step S17, a desired physical property value is input for at least one of the first performances (in this embodiment, storage modulus E', loss modulus E", and loss tangent tan δ). In this embodiment, these Desired physical property values are input for all of the first performances.These physical property values are stored in the computer 1.

Next, in the prediction method of this embodiment, the computer 1 (shown in FIG. 3) determines the blending content of the first material group, the kneading conditions, and the like based on the first approximate response function and the physical property value of the first performance. At least one of the physical quantity during kneading and the first vulcanization conditions is calculated (step S18). In this step S18, first, an inverse function of the first approximate response function is determined. This inverse function calculates, in response to the input of the physical property value of the first performance, the formulation content of the first material group of the first rubber-like elastic body having the physical property value, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions. This is for outputting at least one of the following.

The inverse function is obtained based on an optimization method such as a genetic algorithm (GA) or a particle swarm optimization (PSO). Such an inverse function can be easily obtained using the computer software described in Patent Document 1, for example.

Next, in step S18, the physical property value (objective function) of the first performance is substituted into the inverse function of the first approximate response function. As a result, in step S18, the composition of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions necessary for manufacturing the first rubber-like elastic body having physical property values of the first performance are determined. At least one (in this example, all of the formulation contents, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions) is determined by supplementing with the first to fifth data based on the above optimization method. .

In this way, the prediction method of this embodiment provides information necessary for manufacturing the first rubber-like elastic body having the physical property value of the first performance (i.e., the information of the first material group) from the physical property value of the first performance. At least one of the blending contents, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions can be easily determined. For this reason, the prediction method of this embodiment allows the first rubber-like elastic body to have the physical property values of the desired first performance without repeating trial production and evaluation of the first rubber-like elastic body, and without being influenced by the operator's experience and intuition. Information necessary for manufacturing a rubber-like elastic body can be reliably specified.

In the prediction method of this embodiment, it is possible to determine the blending content of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions for the first rubber-like elastic body having the physical property value of the first performance. However, the requested information may cause production costs to exceed the budget or may make it difficult to procure materials. Therefore, in the prediction method, prior to step S18, predetermined constraints are set for at least one of the blending content of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions. good. These constraint conditions can be set as appropriate depending on, for example, manufacturing costs and the like.

The constraint on the blending content is, for example, for limiting the blending ratio of the first material group (a plurality of first materials) calculated in step S18 to a predetermined range. This constraint condition is set based on, for example, the budget for manufacturing costs of the first rubber-like elastic body and the first material that can be procured at a factory that manufactures the first rubber-like elastic body. By setting such constraints, in the prediction method of this embodiment, in step S18, the blending ratio of the first material that can be procured is determined while preventing the manufacturing cost of the first rubber-like elastic body from exceeding the budget. Helpful in your search.

The constraints on the kneading conditions are, for example, for limiting the filling rate of the second material group to the volume of the chamber calculated in step S18, the rotation speed of the rotor, and the kneading stop conditions to a predetermined range. It is. These constraint conditions are set based on, for example, the specifications of the kneader 2 (shown in FIG. 1). By setting such constraints, the prediction method of this embodiment can prevent kneading conditions that are difficult to calculate based on the specifications of the kneader 2 in step S18.

The physical quantity constraints during kneading are, for example, for limiting the rotor torque and the temperature in the chamber calculated in step S18 to predetermined ranges. These constraint conditions are set based on, for example, the specifications of the kneader 2 (shown in FIG. 1). By setting such constraints, the prediction method of this embodiment can prevent physical quantities during kneading, which are difficult to calculate with the specifications of the kneader 2, from being calculated in step S18.

The constraints of the first vulcanization conditions are, for example, to limit the vulcanization temperature and vulcanization time calculated in step S18 to a predetermined range. These constraint conditions are set based on, for example, the configuration of the mold for manufacturing the first rubber-like elastic body, the heating means, the running cost, and the like. By setting such constraints, the prediction method of this embodiment can prevent vulcanization conditions that would cause the manufacturing cost of the rubber-like elastic body to exceed the calculation in step S18.

Although particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and can be modified and implemented in various ways.

[Example A]
Based on the processing procedure shown in FIG. 4, a step of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition, and a step of vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions are performed. The first performance of the obtained first rubber-like elastic body was predicted (Example 1). In the prediction method of Example 1, a computer is programmed to predict 12 types of second polymer composition groups (second polymer composition 1 The first data including the formulation contents of 12) to 12) was input.

The blending contents include information regarding the molecules of each second material and the blending ratio of the second material for each second polymer composition. Information regarding the molecules of each second material was obtained based on the description in the specification and the description in Patent Document 1 mentioned above.

The second polymer compositions 1 to 3, the second polymer compositions 4 to 6, the second polymer compositions 7 to 9, and the second polymer compositions 10 to 12 are each set at the same blending ratio. The mixing ratio is as follows. Note that among the blending ratios listed below, those not described as "variables" are set to be the same for all second polymer compositions 1 to 12.
polymer:
s-SBR (oil added): 55 (phr)
s-SBR (non-oil added): 30 (phr)
BR: 30 (phr)
Filler:
Carbon black: Variable between 13 and 54 (phr) Silica: Variable between 26 and 72 (phr) Coupling agent (TESPD): Variable between 2.08 and 5.76 (phr) Mineral oil: 1 Variable vulcanization accelerator, etc. between .25 and 25.5 (phr):
Zinc oxide: 1.5 (phr)
Stearic acid: 1.5 (phr)
Sulfur: Variable between 1.2 and 1.8 (phr) Vulcanization accelerator (CZ): 1.7 (phr)
Vulcanization accelerator (DPG): 2.2 (phr)

Next, in the prediction method of Example 1, second data including kneading conditions for the second polymer composition group was input into the computer. The kneading conditions were set as the filling rate of the second material group with respect to the volume of the chamber (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "filling rate"), the rotation speed of the rotor, and the kneading stop condition.

Three different conditions (conditions 1 to 3) were set for the filling rate and the rotation speed of the rotor. Different conditions 1 to 3 were set for the second polymer compositions 1 to 3, respectively. Similarly, conditions 1 to 3 were set for second polymer compositions 4 to 6, second polymer compositions 7 to 9, and second polymer compositions 10 to 12, respectively. On the other hand, the kneading stop conditions were set to be the same for all second polymer compositions 1 to 12.
Condition 1:
Filling rate: 70%
Rotor rotation speed: 55rpm
Condition 2:
Filling rate: 75%
Rotor rotation speed: 45rpm
Condition 3:
Filling rate: 65%
Rotor rotation speed: 65rpm
Kneading stop conditions:
First kneading stop condition: 120°C
Second kneading stop condition: 155°C

Next, in the prediction method of Example 1, third data including the physical quantities of the second polymer composition group (second polymer compositions 1 to 12) during kneading was input into the computer. The physical quantities during kneading include the torque of the rotor and the temperature in the chamber, which were measured when the second polymer compositions 1 to 12 were kneaded under the above kneading conditions. As for the rotor torque, the integral value of the torque measured in each process was set for the first process U1 to the third process U3. On the other hand, the temperature in the chamber was set to the average value of the temperatures measured in each of the first to third steps U1 to U3.

Next, in the prediction method of Example 1, fourth data including vulcanization conditions for a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups obtained from the second polymer composition group was input into the computer. Similar to Patent Document 1, the vulcanization conditions are the variable a determined at each time of constant heating, heating, and heat dissipation based on the vulcanization temperature curves of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12. ,C,k were set. The same vulcanization conditions are set for each of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12.

Next, in the first prediction method of the example, fifth data including the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body group was input to the computer. For the first performance, the storage modulus E', loss modulus E'', and loss tangent tan δ were input. For each of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12, these first performances were measured and input into the computer. It was done.

Next, in the prediction method of Example 1, the computer constructed a first approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to fifth data. Whether or not the accuracy of the first approximation response function is good is determined based on the composition of the materials of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and vulcanization conditions. A blind test was conducted.

In the bride test, first, one second rubber-like elastic body was selected from among the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12. Next, in a blind test, a first approximate response function is constructed using the first data, second data, third data, fourth data, and fifth data of the remaining unselected second rubber-like elastic body. Ta. Next, in a blind test, for one selected second rubber-like elastic body, the first performance was determined based on the content of the second polymer composition, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and vulcanization conditions. Predicted. This first performance was predicted for all of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12. A correlation between the predicted first performance of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12 and the actually measured first performance of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12 was confirmed. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the predicted value of the first performance and the measured value of the first performance in Example 1. The first performance in FIG. 8 is tan δ at 30°C.

For comparison, an approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first data, second data, fourth data, and fifth data was constructed without including the third data (physical quantities during kneading) (comparative example). In the comparative example, a blind test was conducted to determine whether the accuracy of the approximate response function was good based on the composition of the materials of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12, kneading conditions, and vulcanization conditions. Ta. The blind test of the comparative example is carried out in the same procedure as the blind test of Example 1, except that the third data and the physical quantity at the time of kneading are not used. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the predicted value of the first performance and the measured value of the first performance in the comparative example. The first performance in FIG. 9 is tan δ at 30°C.

In Example 1 shown in FIG. 8, the coefficient of determination R ² between the predicted value of the first performance and the measured value of the first performance was 0.9884. On the other hand, in the comparative example shown in FIG. 9, the coefficient of determination R ² between the predicted value of the first performance and the measured value of the first performance was 0.9328. Therefore, in Example 1, in which the physical quantities during kneading that affect the first performance can be taken into account, the first approximate response function could be determined with higher accuracy than in the comparative example, in which the physical quantities during kneading cannot be considered. In the first approximate response function of Example 1, the blending contents of the first material group, the kneading conditions of the first material group, the physical quantities during kneading of the first material group, and the first vulcanization conditions are added. It was confirmed that the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body could be predicted with high accuracy by substitution.

[Example B]
Based on the processing procedure shown in FIG. 6, a step of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition, and a step of vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions are performed. The first performance of the obtained first rubber-like elastic body was predicted (Example 2). In the prediction method of Example 2, similarly to the prediction method of Example 1, a first approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to fifth data of the second rubber-like elastic body was constructed.

Furthermore, in the prediction method of Example 2, the computer constructed a second approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to third data. Then, a blind test was conducted to determine whether the accuracy of the second approximate response function was good based on the blending contents of the second polymer compositions 1 to 12 and the kneading conditions.

In the blind test of the second approximate response function, one second polymer composition was first selected from among second polymer compositions 1-12. Next, in a blind test, a second approximate response function was constructed using the first, second, and third data of the remaining unselected second polymer composition. Next, in a blind test, the physical quantities of the selected second polymer composition during kneading were predicted based on the blending contents of the materials and the kneading conditions. The physical quantities during kneading were predicted for all of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12. A correlation between the predicted physical quantities of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12 during kneading and the actually measured physical quantities of the second rubber-like elastic bodies 1 to 12 during kneading was confirmed.

In Example 2, the coefficient of determination R ² between the predicted value of the physical quantity during kneading and the measured value of the physical quantity during kneading was 0.9905. Therefore, in Example 2, the second approximate response function could be obtained with high accuracy. By substituting the blending contents of the first material group and the kneading conditions of the first material group into the second approximate response function of Example 2, the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group is calculated. Therefore, the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group could be uniquely predicted without being influenced by the operator's experience or intuition.

In Example 2, the predicted physical quantities during kneading of the first material group, the blending contents of the first material group, the kneading conditions, and the first vulcanization conditions are substituted into the first approximate response function. It was confirmed that the first performance of the first rubber-like elastic body could be predicted with high accuracy.

[Example C]
Based on the processing procedure shown in FIG. Sulfur conditions were predicted (Example 3). In the prediction method of Example 3, similarly to the prediction method of Example 1, a first approximate response function indicating the relationship between the first to fifth data of the second rubber-like elastic body was constructed. Then, by substituting the desired physical property values of the first performance into the first approximate response function, the blending contents of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions were calculated.

A first polymer composition and a first rubber-like elastic body were manufactured based on the calculated blending contents of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions. Then, the first performance of the manufactured first rubber-like elastic body is measured, and the first performance (storage modulus E', loss modulus E'', and loss The correlation between the tangent (tan δ) and the physical property values was determined.

As a result of the test, in Example 3, all of the first performances (storage modulus E', loss modulus E'', and loss tangent tan δ) had an error of less than 5%. If so, the prediction accuracy is sufficient.As described above, the prediction method of Example 3 is based on the formulation content of the first material group and the kneading conditions for the first rubber-like elastic body having the desired physical property value of the first performance. , the physical quantities during kneading and the first vulcanization conditions could be determined with high accuracy.

S1 Step of inputting the first data S2 Step of inputting the second data S3 Step of inputting the third data S4 Step of inputting the fourth data S5 Step of inputting the fifth data S6 Step of inputting the sixth data S10 1 Process of calculating performance

Claims (8)

Regarding the first rubber-like elastic body obtained through the steps of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition and vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions. , a method for predicting a predetermined first performance, the method comprising:
inputting into the computer first data including the formulation contents of a plurality of second polymer composition groups made up of a plurality of second material groups containing one or more polymers selected from the first material group;
inputting second data including kneading conditions for the second polymer composition group into the computer;
inputting third data including physical quantities of the second polymer composition group during kneading into the computer;
inputting fourth data including vulcanization conditions for a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups obtained from the second polymer composition group into the computer;
inputting fifth data including the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body group into the computer;
the computer constructing a first approximate response function indicating a relationship among at least the first data, the second data, the third data, the fourth data, and the fifth data;
inputting into the computer the blending details of the first material group, the kneading conditions of the first material group, the physical quantities during kneading of the first material group, and the first vulcanization conditions, and
The computer determines the first vulcanization of the first rubber-like elastic body based on the blending contents of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, the first vulcanization conditions, and the first approximate response function. 1 Including the process of calculating performance,
Prediction method for rubber-like elastic bodies.
Prior to the step of inputting physical quantities during kneading of the first material group, the computer constructs a second approximate response function indicating a relationship between the first data, the second data, and the third data;
The computer further includes a step of calculating a physical quantity during kneading of the first material group based on the blending contents and kneading conditions of the first material group and the second approximate response function,
2. The rubber-like elastic body prediction method according to claim 1, wherein the step of inputting the physical quantity during kneading of the first material group includes the step of inputting the calculated physical quantity. The step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced, and at least one rotor rotating within the chamber. A machine is used,
3. The method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body according to claim 1, wherein the physical quantity during kneading includes at least one of the torque of the rotor and the temperature within the chamber. The first material group and the second material group include multiple types of compounding agents including carbon black,
The step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced, and at least one rotor rotating within the chamber. A machine is used,
The step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes a first step of starting kneading of the polymer and the compounding agent and then kneading until the torque of the rotor reaches a maximum; After the first step, a second step of kneading the polymer and the compounding agent,
4. The method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body according to claim 1, wherein the physical quantity during the kneading includes the physical quantity during the first step and the physical quantity during the second step. Prior to the first step, the step of kneading the first material group or the second material group further includes a third step of masticating the polymer that does not contain the compounding agent,
5. The method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body according to claim 4, wherein the physical quantities during the kneading further include the physical quantities during the third step. The step of kneading the first material group or the second material group includes a chamber into which the first material group or the second material group is introduced, and at least one rotor rotating within the chamber. A machine is used,
Any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the kneading conditions include at least one of the filling rate of the first material group or the second material group with respect to the volume of the chamber, the rotation speed of the rotor, and a kneading stop condition. A method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body as described in . 7. The method for predicting a rubber-like elastic body according to claim 1, wherein the first performance includes at least one of a storage modulus E', a loss modulus E'', and a loss tangent tan δ. A predetermined first polymer composition is manufactured through a step of kneading a plurality of first material groups to obtain a first polymer composition, and a step of vulcanizing the first polymer composition under first vulcanization conditions. A method for predicting at least one of the blending content of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions for a first rubber-like elastic body having physical property values of 1 performance. hand,
inputting into the computer first data including the formulation contents of a plurality of second polymer composition groups made up of a plurality of second material groups containing one or more polymers selected from the first material group;
inputting second data including kneading conditions for the second polymer composition group into the computer;
inputting third data including physical quantities of the second polymer composition group during kneading into the computer;
inputting fourth data including vulcanization conditions for a plurality of types of second rubber-like elastic body groups obtained from the second polymer composition group into the computer;
inputting fifth data including the first performance of the second rubber-like elastic body group into the computer;
the computer constructing a first approximate response function indicating a relationship among at least the first data, the second data, the third data, the fourth data, and the fifth data;
inputting the physical property value of the first performance into the computer; and
The computer determines at least the composition of the first material group, kneading conditions, physical quantities during kneading, and first vulcanization conditions based on the first approximate response function and the physical property value of the first performance. including the step of calculating one
Prediction method for rubber-like elastic bodies.

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