Abstract: The invention relates to a tire having a sidewall component of an EPDM-based rubber composition prepared with specified precipitated silica reinforcement and an organosilane disulfide material. In one aspect, such rubber composition may be exclusive of carbon black and may thereby be of color other than black.

Abstract: The invention relates to the preparation of a rubber composition containing starch/plasticizer composite reinforcement, together with at least one additional reinforcing filler, through the utilization of a combination of an organosilane disulfide compound mixed with a rubber composition in a preparatory, non-productive, mixing stage(s) followed by adding an organosilane polysulfide compound in a subsequent, productive, mixing stage. The invention further relates to the resulting rubber composition and use thereof in rubber products, including tires.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition containing a combination of starch, modified starch and/or starch/plasticizer composite together with selected methylene donor and/or methylene acceptor compounds. The invention also relates to tires having at least one component comprised of such rubber composition. Such tire component can be, for example, its circumferential tread or other component of the tire.

Abstract: The invention relates to composites of rubber compositions reinforced with short, discontinuous fibers together with an anchoring agent. Preferably, the rubber composition is exclusive of amorphous silica. The invention also relates to articles, including industrial products and tires, which have at least one component thereof. The invention particularly relates to industrial rubber belts having at least one component of such rubber composite and to tires with at least one component of such rubber composite.

Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition comprised of a combination of cis 1,4-polybutadiene and at least one liquid hydroxyl terminated polyalkylene polymer together with a halogenated copolymer of isobutylene and p-methylstyrene and a minor amount of at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer, preferably cis 1,4-polyisoprene. The rubber composition contains particulate reinforcement as carbon black or as carbon black and silica together with a coupling agent. The invention also relates to a tire having a sidewall of such rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition comprised of a combination of cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber and at least one liquid hydroxyl terminated polyalkylene polymer and to such a composition being sulfur cured. The rubber composition can also contain an additional diene-based elastomer. The rubber composition contains reinforcement as carbon black or as carbon black and/or silica together with a coupling agent. The invention also relates to a tire having a tread of such rubber composition.

Abstract: A rubber composition which contains substantially hollow, irregularly-shaped particles, and/or fragments thereof derived from a surface-modified carbon black aggregate from the which the carbon black core has been removed. For example, an irregularly-shaped carbon black aggregate may be surface-modified to have interconnecting domains of at least one inorganic material on its surface and the carbon black core removed by an oxidation process leaving an irregularly-shaped, substantially hollow particle and/or fragments thereof of said inorganic materials. An article having a component of such rubber composition is also provided such as, for example, a tire or an industrial product.

Abstract: This invention relates to a rubber composition composed of high Tg diene-based elastomers and which contains a high Tg liquid polymer of high vinyl polybutadiene and to such a composition being sulfur cured. The invention also relates to a tire having a tread of such rubber composition.

Abstract: Pressure sensitive labels, which desirably are coated with fluorescent ink having a non-stick pull tab end portion are utilized to indicate a substantially maximum or minimum radial distance of a tire tread and to indicate, respectively, a substantial minimum or maximum radial distance of a matingly engagable tire rim. The tire is applied to the rim with the labels in substantial radial alignment so as to reduce the out of round portion of the tire tread.

Abstract: A tire having at least one crescent-shaped rubber composition as an insert in its sidewall region which is comprised of at least one diene-based elastomer, carbon black and, optionally, silica and at least one of dithiodipropionic acid, benzoic acid and salicylic acid.

Abstract: High viscosity elastomers are often difficult to utilize in rubber compositions without first creating a pre-blend of the high viscosity elastomer and a rubber processing oil to reduce their overall viscosity. This invention relates to utilization of a specialized pre-blend of high viscosity and low viscosity elastomers for use in rubber compositions and to the resulting rubber composition. The use of such resulting rubber composition may be for component(s) of tires, particularly including tire treads. The specialized pre-blend of high and low viscosity elastomers is required to be created by blending individual latices or, alternatively, by blending individual polymerizates of elastomers with diverse viscosities.

Abstract: The invention relates to expandable butyl rubber bladders for use in curing presses for hydrocarbon rubbers such as pneumatic tires. The bladders are a crosslinked elastomer comprising isobutylene repeat units and the bladder composition contains lecithin, particularly a modified lecithin, preferably in liquid form, dispersed within the bladder composition. The bladder composition may also contain castor oil, corn oil and/or soya-bean oil. The bladder composition may also contain at least one of graphite and polytetrafluoroethylene powder. The invention also relates to a method of curing tires by utilizing such butyl rubber bladder.

Abstract: An electrically-conductive rubber composition and article of manufacture having a component thereof. In one aspect, such article of manufacture is a pneumatic rubber tire of a toroidal shape having a cavity designed to be substantially enclosed by the toroidal shape of the tire and its closure completed by a rigid rim onto which the tire is designed to be mounted. In another aspect, such pneumatic tire contains such rubber composition positioned on or within a rubber innerliner of the tire; wherein the innerliner is a surface of said cavity. In a further aspect, said rubber composition is an annular strip of an electrically-conductive rubber composition on or within such tire innerliner. The said annular strip is intended to be an antenna for having a capability of receiving electromagnetic waves from outside the tire and of transmitting electromagnetic waves from the inside of the tire to the outside of the tire.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tire with a carcass ply component having a rubber composition of relatively low carbon black content with the carbon black having a defined structure and particle size.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rubber composition containing relatively low levels of carbon black and/or silica reinforcement together with a particulate calcium carbonate and selected modifiers. The invention particularly relates to a tire having a component, particularly a tread, of such composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rubber tire composed of carbon black reinforced rubber carcass with an outer, circumferential rubber tread construction of a rubber composition having a relatively high electrical resistivity. The tire tread construction has electrically conductive filament stapled through the tread construction and extending between the inner surface of the tread to its outer surface. An electrically conductive path is thereby created through the tread.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire with a rubber tread which contains at least three resins with spatially-defined softening point ranges.

Abstract: A fluorescent label can be used to identify the location of variations, e.g. radial variations, in a pneumatic tire so the tire can be precisely mixed and matched with other components such as tire rims which may have compensating variations. The fluorescent label desirably includes a release backing, a pressure sensitive adhesive to bind said label to a tire, a nontransparent face sheet that reflects a substantial portion of incident light back towards its source, transparent top layer which contains one or more fluorescent dye(s) disproportionately present in the surface portion of the layer and preferably in the layer nearest the adhesive side. The location of the largest portion of the fluorescent dye is important as commercial labels with the dye on the exterior surface suffer from fluorescent reading losses apparently due to migration of mobile molecules from other tires stored in contact with the label's exterior surface.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a sidewall rubber insert axially inward of at least one carcass ply. Such insert may, for example, be an apex extending radially outward from the bead core region of the tire into the tire sidewall. Alternatively, it may be positioned higher in the sidewall portion of the tire and away from the bead core. Such insert is a rubber composition containing a dispersion of an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and a dispersion of a starch composite.

Abstract: A rubber composition comprised of an elastomer(s), reinforced with a particulate carbon black composite, said composite composed of carbon black having an integral silica on the surface thereof, together with a coupling agent. A method of adjusting electrical conductivity of a rubber composition containing such carbon black composite reinforcement is also provided. A tire having a component of such rubber composition such as, for example, a tread, is specifically contemplated.