阅读说明：本技术 多楔带及其使用 (V-ribbed belt and use thereof ) 是由 武市博树 今井宏贵 光富学 于 2019-02-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种多楔带,其是压缩橡胶层的摩擦传动面被针织布被覆的多楔带,其中,上述压缩橡胶层由含有乙烯-α-烯烃弹性体和炭黑的橡胶组合物的固化物形成,上述炭黑含有一次粒径为40nm以上的软碳和一次粒径小于40nm的硬碳,并且上述软碳与上述硬碳的粒子数之比为前者/后者＝3/97～25/75。(The present invention relates to a V-ribbed belt in which a friction transmission surface of a compression rubber layer is coated with a knitted fabric, wherein the compression rubber layer is formed from a cured product of a rubber composition containing an ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer and carbon black, the carbon black contains soft carbon having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more and hard carbon having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm, and the particle number ratio of the soft carbon to the hard carbon is 3/97 to 25/75.)

1. A V-ribbed belt in which a friction transmission surface of a compression rubber layer is coated with a knitted fabric, wherein the compression rubber layer is formed from a cured product of a rubber composition containing an ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer and carbon black, the carbon black contains soft carbon having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more and hard carbon having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm, and the particle number ratio of the soft carbon to the hard carbon is 3/97-25/75.

2. The v-ribbed belt according to claim 1, wherein the soft carbon has an average primary particle diameter of 45 to 100nm, and the hard carbon has an average primary particle diameter of 10 to 35 nm.

3. The v-ribbed belt according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rubber composition further contains short fibers in a proportion of 10 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer.

4. The V-ribbed belt according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the proportion of carbon black is 30 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer.

5. The v-ribbed belt according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said rubber composition further contains a vulcanizing agent and/or a crosslinking agent, and the total proportion of the vulcanizing agent and the crosslinking agent is 1 to 5 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer.

6. The V-ribbed belt according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer has a diene content of 1 to 3 mass%.

7. The V-ribbed belt according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the Mooney viscosity (ML (1+4)125 ℃) of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer is from 30 to 60.

8. Use of a V-ribbed belt according to any one of claims 1 to 7 at a belt tension of 30 to 120N/rib.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a v-ribbed belt in which a friction transmission surface is coated with a fabric (knitted fabric or the like), which is excellent in durability and noise generation resistance, and which can reduce torque loss, and a method of using the v-ribbed belt.

Background

Friction drive belts are widely used for driving auxiliary machines of automobiles and agricultural machines. Examples of the friction transmission belt include a flat belt, a V-ribbed belt, and the like, and they are used separately from a mesh transmission belt represented by a toothed belt in which power is transmitted by mechanical engagement of a pulley and a toothed portion. Among them, the v-ribbed belt is generally used for driving auxiliary machines of automobiles because it can achieve both high transmission capability and bending fatigue resistance. Chloroprene rubber is often used as a rubber component for the rubber composition forming the compression layer of the v-ribbed belt, but in recent years, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) has been generally used in accordance with the demand for improvement in heat resistance, cold resistance, and durability. Further, as the ribbed belt, a belt in which a friction transmission surface is coated with a reinforcing cloth in order to improve wear resistance or adjust a friction coefficient is also known. As the fibers constituting these reinforcing fabrics, various fibers can be used according to requirements such as abrasion resistance and water absorption.

For example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-539394 (patent document 1) discloses a v-ribbed belt in which a rib surface is covered with a canvas that is stretchable and contractible in predetermined two directions, the canvas including an elastic yarn and at least one non-elastic yarn, and the non-elastic yarn including a cellulose-based fiber or yarn. This document also describes: by adjusting the material of the canvas, the durability of the rib surface of the v-ribbed belt can be improved, a desired rib surface state can be maintained, and the material of the canvas can be selected in consideration of noise generation and the like.

The structure having the reinforcing cloth on the rib surface as in patent document 1 can improve the durability and the noise immunity of the rib surface, while the bendability of the belt tends to decrease. If the bendability of the belt is reduced, a large amount of energy is required to bend the belt, and a part of the energy is released to the outside in the form of heat, so that the energy loss (torque loss) may increase. Such a loss is not preferable in terms of environmental performance (improvement in fuel efficiency) which has been recently demanded, and improvement is required.

As a method for reducing the torque loss of the v-ribbed belt, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2010-276127 (patent document 2) discloses a v-ribbed belt in which a compression layer is formed using a rubber composition having an ethylene- α -olefin elastomer content of 45 mass% or more and a carbon black content of less than 35 mass%. This document describes: by using the rubber composition in which the content ratio of carbon black is reduced, the internal loss (loss tangent tan) can be suppressed, and the torque loss can be reduced.

Although the amount of carbon black added can be reduced to reduce heat generation (torque loss) as in patent document 2, this method may reduce the modulus and hardness of the rubber, and the belt may be unsuitable for high-load transmission, and is difficult to adopt under recent requirements for high-load transmission.

As described above, there is no v-ribbed belt that can improve durability and noise generation resistance and can reduce torque loss at the same time.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a v-ribbed belt capable of improving durability and noise resistance and reducing torque loss, and a method for using the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a v-ribbed belt capable of reducing torque loss even in high-load transmission and a method for using the same.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a v-ribbed belt capable of improving noise immunity when exposed to water, and a method for using the same.

Means for solving the problems

The present inventors have conducted extensive studies to solve the above problems, and as a result, have found that a compression rubber layer of a V-ribbed belt having a friction transmission surface covered with a knitted fabric can be formed by using a cured product of a rubber composition comprising an ethylene- α -olefin elastomer, and, in combination, soft carbon having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more and hard carbon having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm in a specific ratio, thereby improving durability and noise generation resistance and reducing torque loss, and have completed the present invention.

Specifically, the friction transmission belt of the present invention is a V-ribbed belt in which the friction transmission surface of a compression rubber layer is coated with a knitted fabric, wherein the compression rubber layer is formed from a cured product of a rubber composition containing an ethylene- α -olefin elastomer and carbon black, the carbon black contains soft carbon having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more and hard carbon having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm, and the ratio of the number of particles of the soft carbon to the number of particles of the hard carbon is 3/97 to 25/75. The average primary particle diameter of the soft carbon may be 45 to 100 nm. The hard carbon may have an average primary particle diameter of 10 to 35 nm. The rubber composition may further contain a short fiber. The proportion of the short fibers may be 10 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer. The proportion of the carbon black may be 30 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer. The rubber composition may further contain a vulcanizing agent and/or a crosslinking agent. The total proportion of the vulcanizing agent and the crosslinking agent may be 1 to 5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer. The ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer may have a diene content of 1 to 3% by mass. The ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer may have a Mooney viscosity (ML (1+4)125 ℃) of 30 to 60.

The present invention also includes a method of using the V-ribbed belt by adjusting the belt tension to a range of 30 to 120N/rib.

Effects of the invention

In the present invention, since the compression rubber layer of the v-ribbed belt in which the friction transmission surface is coated with the knitted fabric is formed of a cured product of a rubber composition containing the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer, and soft carbon having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more and hard carbon having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm in combination in a specific ratio, durability and noise immunity can be improved, and torque loss can be reduced. Further, torque loss can be reduced even under high-load transmission. Further, if the friction transmission surface is coated with a knitted fabric containing a cellulose fiber, the noise immunity when exposed to water can be improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the v-ribbed belt of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of a testing machine for measuring a torque loss in the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a graph showing the measurement results of the torque loss in example 1 and comparative examples 1 to 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of a testing machine for measuring a drive torque in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the measurement results of the drive torque at a belt tension of 40N/rib in example 1 and comparative examples 1 to 2.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the measurement results of the drive torque at a belt tension of 80N/rib in example 1 and comparative examples 1 to 2.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the measurement results of the drive torque at a belt tension of 120N/rib in example 1 and comparative examples 1 to 2.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as necessary. The V-ribbed belt of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of V-shaped ribs extending in the circumferential direction of the belt are formed, and the transmission efficiency is high. Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the v-ribbed belt 1 of the present invention includes: an extension layer 4 formed on the back surface of the belt (the outer peripheral surface of the belt) and formed of a cover canvas (woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc.), a compression layer (compression rubber layer) 2 formed on one side (one surface side) of the extension layer and having a friction transmission surface (the surface of a friction transmission part), a knitted fabric 5 formed on the friction transmission surface of the compression layer (compression rubber layer) 2 so as to cover (laminate) the inner peripheral surface thereof and contactable with a pulley, and a core 3 embedded between the extension layer 4 and the compression layer 2 along the belt longitudinal direction (circumferential direction). In this example, the core 3 is a core wire (stranded cord) arranged at a predetermined interval in the belt width direction, and is sandwiched between two layers in contact with the extended layer 4 and the compressed layer 2.

In the compression layer 2, a plurality of grooves having a V-shaped cross section are formed extending in the belt longitudinal direction, a plurality of ribs having a V-shaped cross section (inverted trapezoidal shape) are formed between the grooves, and both inclined surfaces (surfaces) of the ribs form friction transmission surfaces. The frictional transmission surface may be in contact with the pulley via the knitted fabric 5.

The v-ribbed belt of the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and for example, the extended layer 4 may be formed of a rubber composition, and an adhesive layer may be interposed between the compressed layer 2 and the extended layer 4 in order to improve the adhesiveness between the core body 3 and the extended layer 4 or the compressed layer 2. The core 3 may be embedded between the extended layer 4 and the compressed layer 2, and may be embedded in the compressed layer 2, or may be embedded in the compressed layer 2 while being in contact with the extended layer 4, for example. The core 3 may be embedded in the adhesive layer, or the core 3 may be embedded between the compression layer 2 and the adhesive layer or between the adhesive layer and the extension layer 4.

Next, each member constituting the belt and a method for manufacturing the belt will be described in detail.

[ knitted fabrics ]

In the present invention, since the friction transmission surface of the compression rubber layer is coated with the knitted fabric, the durability and the noise immunity of the v-ribbed belt can be improved. As the knitted fabric, a knitted fabric coated with a friction transmission surface of a ribbed belt or a knitted fabric conventionally used as a covering canvas may be used, and from the viewpoint of enhancing the anti-noise generation property when wetted, a knitted fabric formed of a water-absorbent fiber and a non-water-absorbent fiber may be used (for example, a knitted fabric described in japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-70494).

Examples of the water-absorbent fibers (or fibers containing water-absorbent yarns) include: vinyl alcohol fibers (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer fibers, and vinylon), polyamide fibers (e.g., polyamide 6 fibers, polyamide 66 fibers, and aliphatic polyamide fibers such as polyamide 46 fibers), cellulose fibers [ e.g., cellulose fibers (e.g., cellulose fibers derived from plants, animals, or bacteria), and cellulose derivative fibers ], animal-derived fibers (e.g., wool, silk), and the like. These water-absorbent fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, cellulose fibers (particularly, cotton fibers) are preferable.

The cellulosic fibers may be spun yarns. The thickness (count) of the cellulose fibers is, for example, about 5 to about 100, preferably about 10 to about 80, and more preferably about 20 to about 70 (particularly about 30 to about 50). When the thickness is too small, mechanical properties of the knitted fabric may be deteriorated, and when it is too large, water absorbency may be deteriorated.

Examples of the non-water-absorbent fibers include: polyolefin fibers (e.g., polyethylene fibers and polypropylene fibers), non-water-absorbing polyamide fibers (e.g., aromatic polyamide fibers such as aromatic polyamide fibers), acrylic fibers, polyester fibers [ e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers, 1, 2-trimethylene terephthalate (PPT) fibers, 1, 3-trimethylene terephthalate (PTT) fibers, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) fibers, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) fibers, and the like_2-4Alkylene radical C_6-14Aromatic ester fibers, polyarylate fibers and the like]Poly-p-phenylene benzobiso

Synthetic fibers such as oxazole (PBO) fibers and polyurethane fibers; inorganic fibers such as carbon fibersAnd (5) maintaining. These non-water-absorbent fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, composite fibers of synthetic fibers (composite yarns of synthetic fibers) are preferable, and particularly, bulked yarns having a large cross-sectional area (polyester composite yarns such as PTT/PET conjugate yarns) are preferable in order to improve the abrasion resistance of the knitted fabric and to suppress the bleeding of rubber on the friction transmission surface (or the surface of the knitted fabric).

The fineness of the non-water-absorbent fibers may be, for example, about 20 to about 600 dtex, preferably about 50 to about 300 dtex, and more preferably about 60 to about 200 dtex (particularly about 70 to about 100 dtex).

The proportion of the non-water-absorbent fibers may be, for example, 200 parts by mass or less (for example, 0 to 200 parts by mass) with respect to 100 parts by mass of the water-absorbent fibers, and may be, for example, about 1 part by mass to about 100 parts by mass, preferably about 3 parts by mass to about 80 parts by mass (for example, about 5 parts by mass to about 50 parts by mass), and more preferably about 10 parts by mass to about 40 parts by mass (particularly, about 20 parts by mass to about 30 parts by mass). If the proportion of the non-water-absorbent fibers is too high, the water absorbency of the knitted fabric may be reduced, and the anti-noise performance may be reduced when the knitted fabric is wetted with water.

The structure of the knitted fabric is not particularly limited, and a conventional structure can be used, but a single-layer weft knitting (for example, a weft knitting with a plain stitch (a tabasheer knitting) as a knitting structure), a multilayer knitted fabric (for example, a crochet stitch (a weft knitting with a sweet osmanthus-scented needle knitting) or the like) is preferable, and a multilayer knitted fabric is particularly preferable. In the multilayer knitted fabric, the number of layers of the knitted fabric may be, for example, 2 to 5 layers, preferably 2 to 3 layers, and more preferably 2 layers.

The density of the fibers or yarns of the knitted fabric may be, for example, 30 pieces/inch or more (for example, 32 to 70 pieces/inch, preferably 34 to 60 pieces/inch, and more preferably 35 to 55 pieces/inch) in each of the wale direction and the course direction. The total number of the carbon fibers may be 60 or more (for example, 62 to 120 carbon fibers per inch, preferably 70 to 115 carbon fibers per inch, more preferably 80 to 110 carbon fibers per inch, particularly 90 to 105 carbon fibers per inch).

In order to improve the adhesiveness to the friction transmission surface, the knitted fabric may be subjected to an adhesion treatment as needed. The abrasion resistance of the friction transmission surface (power transmission surface) can also be improved by the adhesion treatment. Examples of the gluing treatment include: the rubber composition is obtained by dipping treatment in a resin treatment liquid or the like obtained by dissolving an adhesive component [ for example, an epoxy compound or an isocyanate compound ] in an organic solvent (toluene, xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, or the like), dipping treatment in a resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL liquid), and dipping treatment in a rubber paste obtained by dissolving a rubber composition in an organic solvent. As other gluing treatments, for example: a rubbing treatment for printing the rubber composition on the knitted fabric by passing the knitted fabric and the rubber composition through a calender roll, a coating treatment for coating the knitted fabric with a rubber paste, a coating treatment for laminating the rubber composition on the knitted fabric, and the like.

The knitted fabric may contain conventional additives on the surface of the fiber or in the fiber. Examples of conventional additives include: surfactants, dispersants, fillers, colorants, stabilizers, surface treatment agents, leveling agents, and the like. The ratio of the other components may be 10% by mass or less with respect to the entire knitted fabric, for example, about 0.01% by mass to about 5% by mass, preferably about 0.1% by mass to about 3% by mass, and more preferably about 0.5% by mass to about 2% by mass.

The basis weight of the knitted fabric may be, for example, about 50g/m²About 500g/m²Preferably about 80g/m²About 400g/m²More preferably about 100g/m²About 350g/m²。

The thickness (average thickness) of the knitted fabric may be selected from the range of about 0.1mm to about 5mm, for example, about 0.3mm or more (for example, about 0.4mm to about 3mm), preferably about 0.5mm to about 2mm, and more preferably about 0.7mm to about 1.5 mm.

[ compression rubber layer ]

The compression rubber layer is formed from a cured product of a rubber composition containing an ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer and carbon black.

(ethylene-alpha-olefin elastomer)

As the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer, for example, there can be mentioned: ethylene- α -olefin rubbers such as ethylene-propylene copolymers (EPM) and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers (EPDM, etc.). These ethylene- α -olefin elastomers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers such as EPDM are preferable from the viewpoint of excellent heat resistance, cold resistance and durability.

The mooney viscosity (ML (1+4)125 ℃) of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer may be selected from the range of about 20 to about 70, and may be, for example, about 30 to about 60, preferably about 40 to about 58, and more preferably about 50 to about 56, from the viewpoint of suppressing bleeding of the rubber composition through the knitted fabric to the friction transmission surface and improving the noise immunity (particularly, noise immunity in running under high load). The mooney viscosity of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer may be that of a mixture of two or more ethylene- α -olefin elastomers having different mooney viscosities. When the mooney viscosity is too low, there is a fear that: the rubber composition easily bleeds out to the friction transmission surface through the knitted fabric, and the noise immunity is lowered. On the other hand, when the Mooney viscosity is too high, there is a fear that: the flowability of the rubber composition is reduced, and a rib shape failure occurs. In the present specification and claims, the mooney viscosity can be measured by a method according to JIS K6300-1(2013) under the following test conditions: an L-shaped rotor was used, the test temperature was 125 ℃, preheating was carried out for 1 minute, and the rotor operating time was 4 minutes.

The diene content of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer may be selected from the range of about 0.5% by mass to about 5% by mass (for example, about 1% by mass to about 4.5% by mass), and from the viewpoint of improving the mooney viscosity of the rubber composition, suppressing the rubber composition from bleeding through the knitted fabric to the friction transmission surface, and improving the noise immunity (particularly, the noise immunity in running under high load), for example, about 0.5% by mass to about 3.5% by mass, preferably about 1% by mass to about 3% by mass, and more preferably about 1.5% by mass to about 2.8% by mass (particularly, about 2% by mass to about 2.5% by mass). When the diene content is too small, the crosslinking density may decrease and the strength of the rubber may decrease, whereas when too large, the mooney viscosity may decrease and the noise resistance may decrease. It is noted that in the present description and claims, the diene content can be determined according to standard test methods of astm d 6047-17.

The proportion of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer to the entire compression rubber layer (or the total amount of the rubber composition) may be, for example, 20 mass% or more (e.g., 25 to 80 mass%), preferably 30 mass% or more (e.g., 35 to 75 mass%), and more preferably 40 mass% or more (e.g., 45 to 70 mass%).

(carbon Black)

Carbon black is generally classified into several grades according to differences in primary particle diameter, iodine adsorption amount, nitrogen adsorption specific surface area, and the like. Carbon black having a small primary particle size has a high reinforcing effect on rubber and is suitable for high-load power transmission applications, but tends to generate heat when bent and increase torque loss. On the other hand, carbon black having a large primary particle diameter has a low reinforcing effect on rubber, but can suppress heat generation during bending and can reduce torque loss.

The classification of carbon black is classified into N0 to N9 in ASTM based on the iodine adsorption amount, and conventional classifications (SAF, HAF, GPF, etc.) based on the properties of compounded rubber products and the like can be used. N110(SAF), N220(ISAF), N330(HAF), and the like, which have small primary particle diameters, may be referred to as hard carbon, and N550(FEF), N660(GPF), N762(SRF), which have large primary particle diameters, may be referred to as soft carbon. As carbon black used for the v-ribbed belt, hard carbon is generally used because of its high reinforcement property. In the v-ribbed belt, the use of hard carbon improves the hardness and wear resistance of rubber, and improves the durability of the belt. On the other hand, soft carbon has low reinforcing properties and is therefore hardly used as a reinforcing agent for a v-ribbed belt. The iodine adsorption amount has a close relationship with the primary particle size, and the smaller the primary particle size, the larger the iodine adsorption amount. The relationship shown in table 1 was obtained by classifying the samples according to シースト (registered trademark) series manufactured by east China sea carbon corporation, and summarizing the iodine adsorption amount and the average primary particle size.

[ Table 1]

In the present specification and claims, carbon black contained in a rubber composition is not classified by raw material, and carbon black having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more is referred to as soft carbon, and carbon black having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm is referred to as hard carbon.

In the present specification and claims, the primary particle diameter of carbon black can be measured, for example, by using a transmission electron microscope.

In the present invention, carbon black is a combination of soft carbon having a primary particle diameter of 40nm or more and hard carbon having a primary particle diameter of less than 40nm at a specific ratio, and thereby heat generation during bending of the belt can be suppressed, and torque loss can be reduced. Further, since the enhancing effect is improved in addition to the reduction of the torque loss, the high-load transmission can be realized, and the reduction of the torque loss and the high-load transmission can be achieved at the same time.

The primary particle size of the soft carbon may be 40nm or more, and the maximum primary particle size may be 300nm or less, preferably 200nm or less, and more preferably 100nm or less, for example. If the maximum primary particle size of the soft carbon is too large, the reinforcing property of the carbon black may be lowered, and it may be difficult to realize high-load transmission.

The average primary particle diameter of the soft carbon is, for example, about 45nm to about 100nm, preferably about 50nm to about 90nm (e.g., about 55nm to about 80nm), and more preferably about 60nm to about 70nm (particularly, about 63nm to about 68 nm). When the average primary particle size of the soft carbon is too small, the torque loss reduction effect may be reduced, whereas when too large, the reinforcing property of the carbon black may be reduced, and it may be difficult to realize high load transmission.

The amount of iodine adsorbed by the soft carbon may be less than 60g/kg, and is, for example, about 10g/kg or more and less than about 60g/kg, preferably about 15g/kg to about 50g/kg, and more preferably about 18g/kg to about 40g/kg (particularly about 20g/kg to about 30 g/kg). When the iodine adsorption amount is too small, the reinforcing property of the carbon black may be lowered to make it difficult to realize high-load transmission, whereas when too large, the torque loss reducing effect may be reduced.

In the present specification and claims, the iodine adsorption amount of carbon black can be measured by a standard test method of ASTM D1510-17.

The primary particle size of the hard carbon may be less than 40nm, and the maximum primary particle size may be, for example, 38nm or less, preferably 35nm or less, and more preferably 30nm or less. If the maximum primary particle size of the hard carbon is too large, it may be difficult to realize high-load transmission. The minimum primary particle diameter may be, for example, 5nm or more, preferably 8nm or more, and more preferably 10nm or more. When the minimum primary particle size of the hard carbon is too small, the torque loss may increase.

The average primary particle diameter of the hard carbon is, for example, about 10nm to about 35nm, preferably about 15nm to about 33nm, and more preferably about 20nm to about 32nm (particularly about 25nm to about 30 nm). If the average primary particle size of the hard carbon is too small, the hard carbon itself may be difficult to prepare, whereas if it is too large, the effect of improving the high load transmission may be reduced.

The amount of iodine adsorbed by the hard carbon may be 60g/kg or more, and is, for example, about 60g/kg to about 150g/kg, preferably about 65g/kg to about 130g/kg, and more preferably about 70g/kg to about 100g/kg (particularly about 75g/kg to about 90 g/kg). When the amount of iodine adsorption is too small, the effect of improving the high load transmission may be reduced, whereas when too large, the production of the hard carbon itself may become difficult.

The ratio of the number of particles (number of primary particles) of the soft carbon to the hard carbon is 3/97 to 25/75, and from the viewpoint of balancing reduction of torque loss and application to high-load transmission, the ratio is preferably from about 5/95 to about 25/75, more preferably from about 7/93 to about 23/77 (particularly from about 8/92 to about 22/78), and in applications where torque loss in high-load transmission is important, the ratio may be preferably from about 10/90 to about 25/75, more preferably from about 15/85 to about 23/77. When the proportion of soft carbon is too small, the torque loss reduction effect may not be sufficiently obtained, whereas when the proportion of soft carbon is too large, the reinforcing effect may be reduced and high load transmission may not be realized.

In the present specification and claims, the ratio of the number of particles of the soft carbon to the number of particles of the hard carbon can be calculated based on the primary particle diameter measured by a transmission electron microscope, and specifically, can be measured by the method described in the examples described below.

The mass ratio of the soft carbon to the hard carbon may be appropriately selected depending on the required quality, for example, from the viewpoint of achieving a balance between reduction of torque loss and application in high-load transmission, may be selected from the range of about 10/90 to about 99/1 (e.g. about 30/70 to about 90/10) soft/hard carbon, in order to satisfy the quality required for the use as an auxiliary drive for automobiles, for example, the soft carbon/hard carbon may be from about 40/60 to about 80/20, preferably from about 45/55 to about 70/30, more preferably from about 50/50 to about 60/40, in applications where torque loss in high-load transmission is important, for example, the torque loss is about 50/50 to about 95/5, preferably about 70/30 to about 90/10, and more preferably about 75/25 to about 80/20. When the proportion of soft carbon is too small, the torque loss reduction effect may not be sufficiently obtained, whereas when the proportion of soft carbon is too large, the reinforcing effect may be reduced and high load transmission may not be realized.

The proportion of the carbon black may be 30 parts by mass or more, for example, about 30 parts by mass to about 150 parts by mass, preferably about 50 parts by mass to about 120 parts by mass, and more preferably about 70 parts by mass to about 110 parts by mass (particularly about 80 parts by mass to about 100 parts by mass) with respect to 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer. When the proportion of carbon black is too small, the mechanical strength of the belt may be lowered, whereas when too large, uniform dispersion may be difficult.

In the present invention, the rubber composition forming the compression rubber layer has an ethylene- α -olefin elastomer such as EPDM as a base and contains soft carbon, and therefore, a sufficient torque loss reduction effect can be obtained, and particularly, since the soft carbon and the hard carbon are combined, high load transmission and torque loss reduction can be achieved at the same time.

(short fiber)

In the present invention, the curable rubber composition may contain short fibers in addition to the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer and carbon black, and is preferably not contained in a large amount from the viewpoint of reduction of torque loss. This is because, when short fibers are contained in the compression rubber layer, the bending property is lowered and the torque loss is increased. In addition, in the case of the v-ribbed belt in which the friction transmission surface is not coated with the knitted fabric, if the short fibers are reduced, the durability and the noise resistance of the belt are reduced. However, in the present invention, since the friction transmission surface is coated with the knitted fabric, the belt is excellent in durability and noise resistance even when the short fibers are present in a small amount or not present at all, and therefore the amount of short fibers can be reduced to preferentially reduce the torque loss.

Examples of the short fibers include short fibers exemplified as water-absorbent fibers and non-water-absorbent fibers constituting the above-mentioned knitted fabric [ for example, cellulosic short fibers such as cotton and rayon, polyester short fibers (PET short fibers, etc.), polyamide short fibers (aliphatic polyamide short fibers such as polyamide 6, aramid short fibers, etc.), etc. ]. The short fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The average fiber length of the short fibers may be, for example, about 0.1mm to about 30mm (e.g., about 0.2mm to about 20mm), preferably about 0.3mm to about 15mm, and more preferably about 0.5mm to about 5 mm.

These short fibers may be surface-treated with a surfactant, a silane coupling agent, an epoxy compound, an isocyanate compound, or the like as necessary.

The short fibers may be subjected to a gluing treatment as necessary in order to improve the adhesiveness with the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer. As the adhesion treatment, a conventional adhesion treatment may be used, and examples thereof include: the rubber composition is obtained by dipping treatment in a resin treatment liquid or the like obtained by dissolving an adhesive component [ for example, an epoxy compound or an isocyanate compound ] in an organic solvent (toluene, xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, or the like), dipping treatment in a resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL liquid), and dipping treatment in a rubber paste obtained by dissolving a rubber composition in an organic solvent.

In order to further reduce the torque loss, the proportion of the short fibers is preferably a small amount of 10 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer, and when the short fibers are contained, for example, about 0.1 part by mass to about 10 parts by mass. In the present invention, reduction of torque loss is an important problem, and it is particularly preferable that the compression rubber layer contains no short fibers.

(vulcanizing agent and crosslinking agent)

The rubber composition may further contain a vulcanizing agent and/or a crosslinking agent. Examples of the vulcanizing agent include sulfur, oximes (quinone dioxime and the like), guanidines (diphenylguanidine and the like), and the like. Examples of the crosslinking agent include organic peroxides (diacyl peroxides, peroxyesters, dialkyl peroxides, etc.). These vulcanizing agents and crosslinking agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The total proportion of the vulcanizing agent and the crosslinking agent is, for example, about 1 to about 5 parts by mass, preferably about 1.2 to about 3 parts by mass, and more preferably about 1.5 to about 2.5 parts by mass (particularly about 1.5 to about 2 parts by mass) per 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer, from the viewpoint of suppressing rib cracking and improving durability. If the ratio of the vulcanizing agent to the crosslinking agent is too high, the rubber hardness may be excessively increased and rubber cracks (rib cracks) may easily occur, and if the ratio is too low, crosslinking may not sufficiently proceed, and the strength and modulus of the rubber may be insufficient, making it difficult to realize high load transmission.

(other Components)

The rubber composition may contain other rubber components and conventional additives as other components as required.

Examples of the other rubber components include: diene rubbers (natural rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (nitrile rubber), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (including a mixed polymer of hydrogenated nitrile rubber and a metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid), etc.), chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, alkylated chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, acrylic rubber, silicone rubber, urethane rubber, fluororubber, etc. These other rubber components may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The proportion of the other rubber component may be 10 parts by mass or less (for example, 0.1 to 10 parts by mass) with respect to 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer.

Examples of conventional additives include: a vulcanization aid, a vulcanization accelerator, a vulcanization retarder, a reinforcing agent (e.g., silica such as hydrous silica), a metal oxide (e.g., zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, barium oxide, iron oxide, copper oxide, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, etc.), a filler (e.g., clay, calcium carbonate, talc, mica), a plasticizer, a softener (e.g., oils such as paraffin oil and naphthene oil), a processing agent or a processing aid (e.g., stearic acid, a metal stearate salt, wax, paraffin, etc.), an antiaging agent (e.g., aromatic amine-based antiaging agent, benzimidazole-based antiaging agent), an adhesion improver [ e.g., a melamine resin such as resorcinol-formaldehyde cocondensate or hexamethoxymethyl melamine, a cocondensate thereof (e.g., resorcinol-melamine-formaldehyde cocondensate), a coloring agent, a thickening agent, a coupling agent (e.g., a, Stabilizers (antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, heat stabilizers, etc.), lubricants, flame retardants, antistatic agents, and the like. These additives may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

These additives may be appropriately selected depending on the kind of the additive, and the total amount of the additives is, for example, about 0.1 to about 30 parts by mass, preferably about 1 to about 20 parts by mass, and more preferably about 5 to about 15 parts by mass, based on 100 parts by mass of the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer.

(characteristics of compression rubber layer)

The rubber hardness Hs of the compression rubber layer may be selected from the range of about 75 ° to about 100 °, for example, about 78 ° to about 90 °, preferably about 79 ° to about 85 °, and more preferably about 80 ° to about 84 ° (particularly, about 81 ° to about 83 °). When the rubber hardness is too low, durability and noise resistance may be reduced, whereas when the rubber hardness is too high, torque loss may be increased.

In the present specification and claims, the rubber hardness of the compression rubber layer represents a value hs (jis a) measured in accordance with the shore hardness test (type a) specified in jis k 6253(2012) (a method for determining hardness of vulcanized rubber and thermoplastic rubber).

The thickness (average thickness) of the compression rubber layer may be, for example, about 1mm to about 30mm, preferably about 1.5mm to about 25mm, and more preferably about 2mm to about 20 mm.

[ core body ]

The core is not particularly limited, and generally, a core wire (stranded cord) arranged at a predetermined interval in the belt width direction can be used. The core wire is not particularly limited, and may contain, for example, synthetic fibers such as polyester fibers (polyalkylene arylate fibers and the like), polyamide fibers (aramid fibers and the like), inorganic fibers such as carbon fibers, and the like.

As the core wire, a stranded cord using a multifilament yarn (for example, a double-twisted wire, a single-twisted wire, a straight-twisted wire, or the like) can be generally used. The average wire diameter of the core wire (fiber diameter of the stranded cord) may be, for example, about 0.5mm to about 3mm, preferably about 0.6mm to about 2mm, and more preferably about 0.7mm to about 1.5 mm. The core wires may be embedded in the longitudinal direction of the belt, or may be embedded in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the belt at a predetermined pitch.

In order to improve the adhesiveness to the ethylene- α -olefin elastomer, the core wire may be subjected to various adhesion treatments using an epoxy compound, an isocyanate compound, or the like, as in the case of the short fibers of the compression rubber layer.

[ extension layer ]

The extended layer may be formed of the same rubber composition as the compression rubber layer, or may be formed of a fabric (reinforcing fabric) such as canvas. Examples of the fabric (reinforcing fabric) include: and woven fabrics, wide canvas, knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and the like. Among them, woven fabrics woven by plain weaving, twill weaving, satin weaving, etc., wide canvas or knitted fabrics having an intersection angle of warp yarn and weft yarn of about 90 ° to about 120 ° are preferable. As the fibers constituting the reinforcing fabric, fibers (water-absorbent fibers, non-water-absorbent fibers, etc.) exemplified in the section of the knitted fabric of the compression rubber layer can be used.

In addition, the reinforcing cloth may be subjected to a gluing process. As the adhesion treatment, for example, the adhesion treatment exemplified in the section of the short fibers of the compression rubber layer can be performed. In addition, instead of the conventional adhesive treatment, or after the conventional adhesive treatment, a rubbing treatment of passing the reinforcing fabric and the rubber composition through a calender roll to print the rubber composition on the reinforcing fabric, a coating treatment of applying a rubber paste on the reinforcing fabric, a coating treatment of laminating the rubber composition on the reinforcing fabric, and the like may be performed.

In addition, the extension layer may be formed of rubber (rubber composition). In order to suppress abnormal noise generated by adhesion of the back rubber during back driving, the rubber composition may further contain short fibers similar to those of the compression rubber layer. The short fibers may be randomly oriented in the rubber composition. Further, the short fibers may be short fibers in which a part is bent.

In order to suppress abnormal noise during back driving, a concave-convex pattern may be provided on the surface of the extension layer (the back surface of the belt). Examples of the concave-convex pattern include: knitted fabric patterns, woven fabric patterns, curtain fabric patterns, embossed patterns, and the like. Among these patterns, a woven fabric pattern and an embossed pattern are preferable.

The thickness of the extension layer may be, for example, about 0.5mm to about 10mm, preferably about 0.7mm to about 8mm, and more preferably about 1mm to about 5 mm.

[ adhesive layer ]

As described above, the adhesive layer is not necessarily essential. The adhesive layer (adhesive rubber layer) may be formed of, for example, the same rubber composition (rubber composition containing an ethylene- α -olefin elastomer) as the compression rubber layer. The rubber composition of the adhesive layer may further contain an adhesive property improving agent (resorcinol-formaldehyde co-condensate, amino resin, or the like).

The thickness of the adhesive layer may be, for example, about 0.2mm to about 5mm, preferably about 0.3mm to about 3mm, and more preferably about 0.5mm to about 2 mm.

In the rubber composition of the extension layer and the adhesive layer, the same system or the same type of rubber as that of the rubber composition of the compression rubber layer is often used as the rubber component. In these rubber compositions, the proportions of additives such as a vulcanizing agent or a crosslinking agent, a co-crosslinking agent or a crosslinking assistant, and a vulcanization accelerator may be selected from the same ranges as those of the rubber composition of the compression rubber layer.

[ V-ribbed belt and method for producing the same ]

The V-ribbed belt of the present invention is preferably used with a belt tension adjusted to a range of 30 to 120N/rib. In the present invention, the torque loss can be further reduced by reducing the belt tension in this way. Generally, when the belt tension is reduced, stick-slip is likely to occur and noise is likely to occur, but the v-ribbed belt of the present invention has excellent noise resistance because the friction transmission surface is coated with a knitted fabric, and the generation of abnormal noise can be suppressed even when the belt tension is reduced. The detailed reason is as follows.

That is, as the cause of the abnormal noise generated by the v-ribbed belt, the running deviation and the stick-slip due to the variation of the friction coefficient can be cited. In order to reduce abnormal noise, a measure is often taken to increase the belt tension and to prevent stick-slip between the belt and the pulley. However, when the belt tension is increased, there are problems that bending fatigue of the belt is promoted to deteriorate durability, and friction loss in the bearing is increased to increase torque loss. In contrast, in the present invention, the friction transmission surface of the v-ribbed belt is coated with the knitted fabric, and therefore, the v-ribbed belt has a property of being less likely to generate abnormal noise due to stick-slip. Therefore, the belt tension can be reduced as compared with a v-ribbed belt in which the friction transmission surface is not covered with a knitted fabric. Specifically, about 30N to about 120N may be used as the tension per 1 rib. In the present invention, since the torque loss due to friction loss in the bearing can be reduced by reducing the belt tension in this way, the torque loss can be further reduced in addition to the effect of using soft carbon.

The v-ribbed belt of the present invention can be produced by a conventional method for producing a v-ribbed belt, for example, by laminating a compression layer, a core body, and an extension layer, which are composed of a knitted fabric and a rubber composition, molding the resulting laminate into a tubular shape with a molding die, vulcanizing the tubular shape to mold a sleeve, and cutting the vulcanized sleeve into a predetermined width, thereby producing a v-ribbed belt in which a friction transmission surface (compression rubber layer) is coated with a knitted fabric. More specifically, the v-ribbed belt can be manufactured, for example, by the following method.

(first production method)

First, an unvulcanized sheet for an extension layer is wound around a flexible jacket on the outer peripheral surface thereof using a cylindrical inner mold having the flexible jacket attached to the outer peripheral surface thereof, a core wire (stranded cord) forming a core is spirally wound around the sheet, and an unvulcanized sheet for a compression rubber layer and a knitted fabric are further wound around the sheet to produce a laminate. Next, as an outer mold to be attached to the inner mold, a cylindrical outer mold having a plurality of rib molds engraved on an inner peripheral surface thereof is used, and the inner mold around which the laminate is wound is concentrically provided in the outer mold. Then, the flexible sheath is expanded toward the inner peripheral surface of the outer mold (rib mold) to press the laminate (compression rubber layer) into the rib mold, and vulcanization is performed. Then, the inner mold is pulled out from the outer mold, and the vulcanized rubber sleeve having a plurality of ribs is released from the outer mold, whereby a sleeve-shaped V-ribbed belt can be produced. The sleeve-shaped v-ribbed belt may be produced by cutting a vulcanized rubber sleeve into a predetermined width in the belt longitudinal direction by using a cutter as needed. In the first manufacturing method, the laminate including the extension layer, the core body, and the compression rubber layer may be once expanded and processed into a sleeve (or a v-ribbed belt) having a plurality of ribs.

(second production method)

As for the first production method, for example, a method disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2004-82702 (a method in which a preform (semi-vulcanized state) is formed by expanding only a knitted fabric and a compression rubber layer, and then an extended layer and a core are expanded and pressed against the preform to be integrally vulcanized and processed into a v-ribbed belt) can be used.