Abstract: The invention relates to a two part endless vehicular rubber track comprised of a polyurethane based tread component and a rubber carcass component. In one aspect, the tread component may be comprised of a sulfur curable polyurethane or blend of sulfur curable polyurethane and sulfur curable elastomer. The invention includes a vehicle containing such track.

Abstract: A black rubber sidewall compound essentially free of a silanated rubber which includes a combination of less than 10 phr of a rosin acid type “tackifier” and less than 1 phr of a t-alkanolamine generates, upon curing against a metal mold surface having a finish in the range from about 8 RA to 32 RA, a reaction product which, at the surface of the sidewall, has a gloss in the range from about 10 to 40 lasting at least one month. A secondary advantage is that the surface of the mold remains clean enough not to require refurbishing through at least 20% more curing cycles than is possible with a sidewall conventional sidewall compound without the specified tackifier and t-alkanolamine. Multiple washing of the sidewalls during a month of using the tire, fails to diminish the gloss substantially.

Abstract: This invention relates to a pneumatic rubber tire having a rubber sidewall composition of a lug and groove configuration which is designed to be ground contacting. Such sidewall configuration is of a rubber composition comprised of a blend of natural rubber and cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber which contains specified carbon black reinforcement and silica together with a coupling agent. The tire tread rubber composition differs from the rubber composition of said sidewall lug and groove configuration by being exclusive of silica and coupling agent and carbon black reinforcement exclusive of said specified carbon black.

Abstract: This invention relates to nanocomposites comprised of a functionalized elastomeric polymer, including oligomers which are elastomeric, which contains a particulate dispersion therein of an intercalated, and at least partially exfoliated, swellable clay, such as for example montmorillonite clay. Said clay may be pre-intercalated and thereafter blended with, or intercalated and at least partially exfoliated in situ within, a functionalized elastomer in an aqueous medium, wherein said functionalized elastomer contains at least one functional group selected from acid, acid-salt, anhydride, and protonated amine-modified epoxy groups. The invention further relates to articles of manufacture, including industrial belts and tires, having at least one component comprised of such nanocomposite where such component may be a coating thereon or other integral component. Such tire component may be, for example, a tire tread, tire sidewall and/or tire innerliner.

Abstract: This invention relates to preparation of a rubber composition by pre-mixing at least one functionalized carbon black with an organic solvent solution or aqueous emulsion of at least one host elastomer. Functionalized carbon blacks for the purposes of this invention preferably contain a functional moiety on their surface to aid in promoting covalent bonds between the functionalized carbon black and said host polymer. The invention also contemplates the use of such rubber composition, or blend of such rubber composition with at least one additional elastomer and/or rubber compounding ingredient, as a component of an article of manufacture. Such article of manufacture may be, for example, a tire. Such article may also be an industrial product such as, for example, a hose or belt such as a conveyor belt or power transmission belt.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tires and vehicular tracks having minimal-marking rubber treads and particularly to skid steering, fixed axle, tire/wheel or track assemblies where said tire or vehicular track has a minimal-marking tread. In particular, such rubber tread has a surface intended to be ground-contacting which is also intended to be minimal-marking and having suitable physical properties for a tire tread.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition which contains reinforcement selected from at least one of synthetic amorphous silica, carbon black and silica treated carbon black, non-alkoxysilane containing coupling agent, wherein at least one of said reinforcements is pre-treated prior to its addition to said rubber composition with at least one of an alkylsilane hydrophobating agent and/or non-alkoxysilane containing coupling agent, and to articles of manufacture, including tires, having at least one component comprised of such rubber composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pneumatic rubber tire with an outer, circumferential tread wherein said tread has a tread configuration comprised of spaced apart, raised lugs designed to be shock absorbingly ground contacting, wherein said tread and lugs are comprised of rubber selected from butyl rubber, halobutyl rubber or isobutylene-derived rubber. Said tire may also contain sidewalls comprised of one or more of such rubber. Thus, such tread is a combination of specific structural configuration and specific rubber composition to create a shock absorbing effect.

Abstract: A rubber composition comprised of an elastomer(s) reinforced with a particulate carbon black composite, and a coupling agent. Said carbon black composite contains integral silica on the surface thereof, wherein said carbon black composite is prepared by co-precipitating carbon black and silica from a dispersion of carbon black in sodium silicate to provide integral silica domains on the outer surface of the carbon black. Said carbon black composite is further functionalized by reacting it with a trialkoxy silane. A tire having a component comprised of such rubber composition, such as, for example, a tire tread is contemplated.

Abstract: The invention relates to articles of manufacture, such as for example, tires and industrial products, which have at least one component comprised of a rubber composition which contains particles of pre-sulfur vulcanized rubber (e.g. ground recycled rubber) and high purity trithiodipropionic acid, wherein said trithiodipropionic acid is preferably provided as particles of a carbon black composite comprised of carbon black and said high purity trithiodipropionic acid. Said high purity trithiodipropionic acid is comprised of polythiodipropionic acids containing at least 80 weight percent trithiodipropionic acid based upon said polythiodipropionic acids.

Abstract: This invention relates to a conjugated diene-based rubber composition reinforced with particulate alumina in combination with a non-silane coupling agent as tetrathiodipropionic acid and/or trithiodipropionic acid. The invention includes an article of manufacture, including a tire, having at least one component comprised of such rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to rubber composition which contains a thermoplastic polymer and use thereof as a tire sidewall component and/or tread supporting ring for use in a tire/rim assembly. Such tire sidewall component may be a sidewall insert and/or apex of a rubber composition which contains a thermoplastic polymer.

Abstract: A pneumatic rubber tire is provided having inner and outer air retention quasi envelopes which individually substantially envelop the tire air chamber and which are comprised of a first inner quasi envelope as an integral innerliner and a second outer quasi envelope as a combination of sidewalls and tread. Such pneumatic tire is of a relatively conventional open toroidal shape. The innerliner and the sidewall-tread combination are termed as being quasi envelopes in a sense that a rigid rim, onto which the tire is to be mounted and inflated, is used to complete the closure of the tire's air chamber envelope.

Abstract: A tire with at least one component of a rubber composition which contains oriented exfoliated platelets derived from an intercalated clay. Such tire component may be, for example, a rubber/cord laminate and, optionally, a sidewall insert and, optionally, an apex.

Abstract: The present invention relates to preparation an article of manufacture, such as of a tire, via application of at least one partially pre-cured component. Tires are often prepared with pre-cured, pre-shaped components such as for example, application of pre-cured tread strips to a cured carcass as in the case of re-treaded tires. Thus precured tread and cured carcass are joined together using a cushion gum followed by heating the resulting assembly at an elevated temperature to cure the cushion gum. Such pre-cured component may also be, for example, a sidewall apex. In such cases, the pre-cured component is subjected to more heat than is necessary which may be detrimental for the component. This invention is directed to the use of a partially pre-cured component to prepare a tire assembly prior to the curing of the entire components of the tire assembly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with rubber tread of cap/base construction. The tread base underlies the tread cap. The tread base is relatively thick, namely at least 50 percent of the thickness of the tread cap. It is desired that the tread base rubber composition contains a significant amount of sulfur to enhance physical properties of the tread base. The tread base rubber composition contains a combination of anti-reversion agents to counteract a tendency for reversion of physical properties of the tread base which is relatively thick as compared to the tread cap. The combination of anti-reversion co-agents is 1,3-bis-(citraconimidomethyl)benzene and hexamethylene 1,6-bis(thiosulfate), disodium salt, dehydrate thereby substantially maintaining the integrity of physical properties of the tread base, reduced tire operating temperature, as well as retarded or eliminated groove cracking in the tread cap has been observed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire having a tread of a cap/base construction wherein the tread cap is composed of trans 1,4-polybutadiene, solution polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene copolymer rubber, cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber and defined amounts of carbon black and amorphous silica reinforcement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire with a carbon black-containing, black-colored, circumferential tread of a cap/base construction, wherein said tread cap has a lug and groove configuration and wherein the outer surface of a major portion of said grooves are designed to be ground contacting, and a co-extruded thin outer non-carbon black-containing rubber layer of a non-black color wherein said outer rubber layer is integral with and circumferentially extends from the axial outer edge of said tread cap to include at least of a visible surface of at least one groove in said tread cap. In one aspect, said tread contains a pair of black colored, carbon black reinforced, tread miniwings which extend from the axial outer edge of the tread over a portion of the tire sidewall, wherein said thin outer rubber layer joins said miniwing and wherein said tread cap, tread base, tread miniwings and thin outer layer are co-extruded, co-cured and therefore integral with each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to tires and vehicular tracks having minimal-marking rubber treads and particularly to skid steering, fixed axle, tire/wheel or track assemblies where said tire or vehicular track has a minimal-marking tread. In particular, such rubber tread has a surface intended to be ground-contacting which is also intended to be minimal-marking and having suitable physical properties for a tire tread.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having at least one component comprised of a rubber composition which contains pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica aggregates. Such tire component may be, for example although not limited to, a tire tread, sidewalls and/or sidewall insert. Such pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica aggregates are contemplated as being prepared, for example, by treatment of a colloidal silica with a combination of both an organomercaptosilane and an alkylsilane.