Patents by Inventor John Thomas Lean

John Thomas Lean has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7344752
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for producing a core-shell polymer that comprises: (1) preparing a monomer solution which is comprised of (a) at least one monomer, optional one crosslinking monomer (b) a conjugate acid of a surfactant with a pKa of less than 14, and (c) a controlled free radical polymerization agent; (2) preparing an aqueous medium which is comprised of (a) water, and (b) a conjugate base of a weak acid wherein the pKb of the base is less than 14; and (3) mixing the monomer solution with the aqueous medium under conditions that result in the in-situ formation of an emulsifier to produce a polymerization medium, and (4) initiating free radical polymerization within the polymerization medium to produce a core polymer, wherein the core contains a free radical control agents, (5) adding a second monomer to the polymerization medium containing the core polymer, and (6) allowing polymerization to proceed in the presence of the free radical control agent to produce the core-shell polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: Lei Zheng, John Thomas Lean, Eric Sean Castner, Thierry Florent Edme Materne, Dane Kenton Parker, Frank James Feher
  • Patent number: 7244783
    Abstract: A thermoplastic elastomer composition comprised of (a) a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene ether, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene, (b) a block copolymer selected from the group consisting of styrene-ethylene butylene-styrene, styrene-ethylene propylene-styrene, hydrogenated polybutadiene, hydrogenated polyisoprene, hydrogenated styrene-isoprene random copolymer, styrene-ethylene propylene block copolymer, styrene-ethylene ethylene propylene-styrene and hydrogenated styrene-butadiene random copolymers, (c) a core-shell polymer comprised of a polymeric core and a polymeric shell with the proviso that the polymeric core and/or the polymeric shell may be crosslinked, and (d) an oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Thomas Lean, Manoj Ajbani, Eric Sean Castner, Lei Zheng, Christopher Kiehl
  • Patent number: 6777500
    Abstract: A core-shell particle for use as filler in rubber compositions. In one embodiment, the particle comprises a crosslinked core having repeat aromatic vinyl units. During an emulsion polymerization, a crosslinked shell comprising of conjugated diene units is grafted onto the core through residual vinyl units. The polymeric shell provides for better interaction and dispersion of the styrene core in an otherwise immiscible polymer matrix, particularly diene-based polymers. In another embodiment, the core has repeat units of (i) about 0% to about 25% by weight of a conjugated diene unit, (ii) about 70% to about 85% by weight of an aromatic vinyl unit, and (iii) about 15% to about 30% by weight of a crosslinking monomer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Thomas Lean, Eric Sean Castner
  • Publication number: 20040127603
    Abstract: A core-shell particle for use as filler in rubber compositions. In one embodiment, the particle comprises a crosslinked core having repeat aromatic vinyl units. During an emulsion polymerization, a crosslinked shell comprising of conjugated diene units is grafted onto the core through residual vinyl units. The polymeric shell provides for better interaction and dispersion of the styrene core in an otherwise immiscible polymer matrix, particularly diene-based polymers. In another embodiment, the core has repeat units of (i) about 0% to about 25% by weight of a conjugated diene unit, (ii) about 70% to about 85% by weight of an aromatic vinyl unit, and (iii) about 15% to about 30% by weight of a crosslinking monomer unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicant: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventors: John Thomas Lean, Eric Sean Castner