Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire with a built-in sealant layer comprised of a depolymerized butyl rubber based sealant precursor. The butyl rubber of the built-in sealant precursor composition is depolymerized in situ within the tire with an activated free radical generating organoperoxide. The organoperoxide is activated with a 2,2,6,6-tetra alkyl piperidine hindered amine. Representative of such hindered amines are, for example, a poly[[6-[1,1,3,3,-tetramethylbutyl)amino]-s-triazine-2,4-diyl][2,2,6,6,-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino]hexamethylene[(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl)imino]] compound. The sealant layer, if desired, may be of a color which contrasts with black. For such purpose the sealant layer may contain a colorant of a non-black color to a substantial exclusion of carbon black.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a tread which contains coal dust to promote a fast wearing tread running surface designed to expel internally heated tread rubber.

Abstract: This invention relates to high performance tires designed for high vehicular speeds having thin treads with a maximum thickness of about three centimeters with a running surface which is comprised of a rubber composition which is highly loaded with a combination of reinforcing filler and rubber processing oil. The combination of reinforcing filler is comprised of conductive carbon black and optionally at least one of classical rubber reinforcing carbon black and precipitated silica and their mixtures. This high level of a combination of selective reinforcing filler together with rubber processing oil in the tread rubber is provided to promote a reduction in internal heat generation within the thin tread during high vehicular speeds, particularly for vehicles intended to be used as race cars.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a split ply carcass member with the ends of the split carcass ply spaced apart in the central crown portion of the tire and a central rubber layer spanning the gap between the split carcass ply ends, wherein said central rubber layer is reinforced with at least one of micro and macro reinforcing fillers. Said central rubber layer may additionally contain continuous cord reinforcement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition comprised of diene based elastomer, precipitated silica, particulate low molecular weight alcohol-adsorbing (e.g. alkanol-adsorbing) activated carbon and coupling agent comprised of at least one of organopolyalkoxysilane polysulfide (e.g organopolyalkoxysilyl polysulfide such as a bis(3-trialkoxysilylalkyl polysulfide) and organoalkoxymercaptosilane. The invention further relates to a tire having a component of such rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with a sidewall composition comprised of cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, particularly natural cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, and high cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber combined with a partial replacement of the cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, particularly natural rubber, with a specialized emulsion polymerization styrene/butadiene rubber (E-SBR) having a glass transition temperature (Tg), similar to the Tg of natural cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, from about ?70 to about ?60° C. and a limited bound styrene content in a range of from about 12 to about 16 percent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread comprised of cap/base construction where the tread cap layer provides the running surface of the tread and the tread base layer underlies the tread cap layer and thereby provides a transition between the tread cap layer and the tire carcass. For this invention, the tread cap layer is comprised of a plurality of individual circumferential load-bearing zones of rubber compositions, which exhibit graduated physical properties, and which extend from the outer running surface of the tread cap layer radially inward to said tread base layer. In one aspect, the zoned rubber tread cap layer and rubber tread base layer are co-extruded together to form a unit as an integral tread rubber composite.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition containing a diene based elastomer reinforced with rubber reinforcing carbon black and/or silica which contains an antidegradant comprised of N-1,3-dimethylbutyl-N?-phenyl-p-phenylene diamine (6-PPD) together with a dispersion of a methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)-adsorbing activated carbon. The invention further relates to a tire having a component thereof containing such rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a silica reinforced rubber composition containing an ionic compound and article having a component thereof. The invention particularly relates to an article such as a rubber tire having a component of such rubber composition. Said ionic compound is composed of a combination of an organic cation moiety and an organic or inorganic anion moiety. Said ionic compound is desirably an ionically conductive ionic compound. The invention particularly relates to improvement of one or more physical properties of a rubber composition by an inclusion of such ionic compound and/or providing a path of least electrical resistance for a electrically resistive component of an article such as a tire by an inclusion in the rubber composition of said component of an ionically conductive ionic compound composed of a combination of an organic cation moiety and an organic or inorganic anion moiety.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic rubber tire having an integral innerliner of a sulfur cured rubber composition. The innerliner rubber composition is comprised of at least one elastomer selected from bromobutyl rubber and chlorobutyl rubber which also contains a dispersion therein of pre-cured diene-based rubber particles.

Abstract: This invention relates to the preparation of a cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber-rich rubber composition containing precipitated silica which has been pre-treated with a fatty alcohol and/or epoxidized soybean oil together with an organosilane containing polysulfide coupling agent and to tires having at least one component comprised of such rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a dual phase rubber composition and pneumatic tire with a rubber sidewall thereof, namely a dual phased non-black colored rubber composition composed of a first pre-formed elastomer phase comprised of butyl-type rubber and EPDM rubber containing a dispersion therein of reinforcing filler comprised of a particulate amorphous precipitated silica and a second pre-formed elastomer phase comprised of a nanocomposite of natural rubber containing a dispersion therein of exfoliated clay platelets. Said exfoliated clay platelets may be substantially oriented within the tire sidewall in a parallel direction to each and may also be substantially oriented in an annular direction about the axis of the tire. The tire sidewall rubber composition may contain at least one additional elastomer which may be included in either or both of said elastomer phases. Such tire sidewall rubber composition may contain a non-black colorant pigment, such as for example a white colored titanium dioxide pigment.

Abstract: This invention relates to preparation of rubber compositions comprised of EPDM and conjugated diene-based elastomer, particularly including cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, and particularly natural cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, blends and pneumatic rubber tire with an outer, visible sidewall layer of a rubber composition comprised of such rubber composition. For such preparation, a combination of at least two diverse EPDM elastomers is used together with a phase mixing process comprised of sequential phase mixing or parallel phase mixing in the sense of reinforcement filler and sulfur curatives.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire having a component of a rubber composition which contains a carbonaceous filler as a composite comprised of a disturbed crystalline structure which contains synthetic cubic (diamond) crystalline phase(s) combined with a significant amorphous phase content and which may also contain graphitic (hexagonal) crystalline phases. The crystalline phases are of a disturbed crystalline structure. The carbonaceous filler composite may therefore sometimes be referred to as a “disturbed crystalline/amorphous carbon material”. Such carbonaceous filler composite may be a product of, for example, an explosive detonation of a carbon-containing, oxygen-deficient explosive. Reinforcement of rubber compositions for components of tires is provided as a combination of such carbonaceous disturbed crystalline/amorphous carbon material together with rubber reinforcing carbon black aggregates and/or synthetic amorphous silica, and optionally with starch/plasticizer composite and/or short fibers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a functionalized siloxy compound which is useful in silica-filled rubber compositions and the processing of a sulfur curable rubber composition containing silica. Accordingly, the invention further relates to a rubber composition containing at least one diene-based elastomer, particulate synthetic amorphous silica (e.g. precipitated silica) and said functionalized siloxy compound as a coupling agent and to an article of manufacture (e.g. tire) containing a component comprised of such rubber composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft tire with a tread having a running surface of a rubber composition which contains elastomers of which a major portion is a specialized cis 1,4-polybutadiene elastomer and a minor portion is cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber and which contains reinforcement filler comprised of a combination of precipitated silica and defined rubber reinforcing carbon black.

Abstract: A tire is provided having a circumferential tread of a diene-based rubber composition reinforced with a silica-containing carbon black which contains domains of silica on its surface prepared by extended reactive mixing of said silica-containing carbon black with a coupling agent together with at least one elastomer. Said silica-containing carbon black is a carbon black which contains silica domains on its surface and said silica contains hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) on its surface, wherein said silica domains cover at least 50 percent of the carbon black surface. Said coupling agent is a bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide having an average of from 2 to 4, alternately a more limited average of from 2 to 3 or from 2 to 2.6, connecting sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge. In one aspect of the invention, it is preferred that said coupling agent is exclusive of a bis(3-trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide having an average of greater than 3.5 sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire having an electrically non-conductive tread which contains an electrically conductive rubber strip which extends through at least a portion of the tread to its running surface in a wave configured shape, and therefore not a continuous straight line within said tread, in which at least a portion of the rubber strip is in a shape of, for example, a substantially sinusoidal, cycloidal and/or zigzag form, to thereby provide a mechanical self-locking configuration between tread segments through which the rubber strip extends and divides. In particular, said tread is composed of a cap/base configuration. The outer cap layer is of a relatively electrically non-conductive rubber composition having a running surface intended to be ground-contacting. The tread base layer, underlying the tread cap layer, is of a relatively electrically conductive rubber composition and is not normally intended to be ground-contacting.

Abstract: This invention relates to preparation of nanocomposites comprised of elastomer and a dispersion of an at least partially exfoliated water swellable clay and to rubber compositions containing such nanocomposite and articles of manufacture which contain at least one component thereof. The nanocomposite is prepared by addition of a water suspension of water swellable clay particles to an anionic aqueous emulsion of elastomer particles to form a mixture to which an amine having at least two amine centers is added to intercalate and at least partially exfoliate the water swelled clay particles by an ion exchange within the galleries of the multilayered clay with cation exchangeable ion(s) and to aid in coagulating the elastomer and resultant clay particles to form said nanocomposite.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with a component composed of a rubber composition containing at least two diverse carbon blacks. In one aspect such tire is a heavy tire and such component is a tread for a heavy tire which contains at least two diverse carbon blacks to aid in providing an improved path for thermal conductivity for a heavy tire with its relatively thick cross section such as, for example, its relatively thick tread.