Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and Industrias Negromex S.A. de C.V. (INSA) have been granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office a patent for a process to produce silane, hydrophobated silica, silica masterbatch and rubber products. Mexico City-based INSA is a subsidiary of Grupo KUO.
The outcome of this process is a silica masterbatch with a broader processing window to enhance manufacturing efficiencies for the end user. Close collaboration between the two companies under a long-term joint development agreement led to the successful development of this new technology.
The process is an outgrowth of Cooper and INSA’s combined focus on developing cost-effective, leading-edge polymer and silica technology to achieve maximum tire performance.
“Collaborative efforts between manufacturing companies like Cooper and key suppliers like INSA can lead to the development of breakthrough technology,” says Chuck Yurkovich, vice president of global research and development for Cooper.
“We expect the relationship between Cooper and INSA to ultimately benefit both companies and the industry as a whole.”
