Abstract: A guayule rubber processing system and method involves mixing a guayule rubber and at least one solvent blend in an extruder, in order to remove resin found in the guayule miscella and to precipitate the guayule miscella to form a precipitate. The at least one solvent blend has a first solvent configured to precipitate the guayule rubber, and a second solvent configured to swell the resulting precipitate. In particular, a series of the solvent blends may be used at different locations along a length of the extruder and may further include distinct blends of the first solvent and the second solvent, introduced at the different locations, and having different ratios of the first solvent and the second solvent.

Abstract: This invention is based upon the unexpected discovery that silica containing tire tread rubber performance characteristics, such as hysteresis and payne effect, can be significantly improved using low levels of coupling agents and increasing silanization times and temperatures. The rubbers formulations made in accordance with this finding are of particular value for use in the treads of winter tires. Such rubber formulations will typically be made using a maximum level of about 7 phf of silica coupling agent and will more typically contain 3 phf to 6 phf of the silica coupling. A silanization time of at least 4 minutes or 5 minutes (within the range of 4 to 10 minutes) at a temperature of at least 150° C. and preferably 160° C. (within the range of 150° C. to 180° C.) will also be used.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a textile cord coat composition for a tire comprises from 70 to 90 phr cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, from 10 to 30 phr styrene butadiene rubber, from 25 to 45 phr carbon black, the latter comprising between 1 and 6 phr high surface area carbon black having a BET surface area of more than 700 m2/g. Moreover, the invention is directed to a textile reinforced ply and a tire comprising such a textile cord coat composition.

Abstract: A sensor retaining system for a vehicle tire is provided. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls extending from a respective bead area to a tread, which is formed with a plurality of tread elements. A sensor unit is mounted to the tire and includes a pair of electrical contacts. A tread wear sensor extends into one of the tread elements and includes a wire. The wire includes proximal ends, each one of which contacts a sensor unit electrical contact to create an electrical circuit. A flexible container is mounted to an innerliner of the tire. A cup includes a base and a sidewall that cooperate to form a cavity, and a bottom of the tread wear sensor and the sensor unit are received in the cavity. The cup maintains a connection between the electrical contacts and the wire proximal ends, and is disposed in the flexible container.

Abstract: A method forms a butt joint between ends of first and second plies and splices the first and second plies together. The method includes the steps of: positioning a first splice edge of a first ply at a first location; positioning a second splice edge of a second ply at a second location, the second splice edge being left bare; wrapping a gum strip around the first splice edge such that the first gum strip forms a U-shaped structure in section that allows the first gum strip to extend from a first planar side of the first ply over the first splice edge to a second opposite planar side of the first ply; not wrapping a gum strip around the second splice edge; placing the first splice edge in abutting relationship to the second splice edge; and stitching the first splice edge to the second splice edge such that stitches each extend from the first planar side of the first ply, through the gum strip, to the first planar side of the second ply.

Abstract: This invention discloses a tire tread comprising: (a) a first tread cap layer comprising a first rubber composition; and (b) a second tread cap layer arranged radially inside of the first tread cap layer comprising a second rubber composition; wherein at 0° C. the rebound resilience of the first rubber composition is within a range of 10% to 25%, the rebound resilience of the second rubber composition is within a range of 15% to 35% and is at least 5% lower than that of the second rubber composition; and wherein at 100° C. the rebound resilience of the first rubber composition is within a range of 45% to 65%, the rebound resilience of the second rubber composition is within a range of 60% to 75% and is at least 3% higher than that of the first rubber composition.

Abstract: A shoe comprising an outsole, where the outsole is comprised of a rubber composition comprised of (A) diene-based elastomer comprising: (1) from about 20 to about 45 phr of high Tg SSBR pre-extended with vegetable oil, wherein said SSBR has a Tg in a range of from about ?20° C. to about +10° C. and a bound styrene content in a range of from about 25 to about 50 percent and a vinyl 1,2-content in a range of from about 10 to about 80 percent based on butadiene content, (2) from 55 to about 80 phr of at least one additional diene-based elastomer comprising of at least one of polybutadiene, cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, and acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, and (B) about 20 to about 70 phr of reinforcing filler comprised of a combination of carbon black and silica where the filler is comprised of from about 50 to about 100 weight percent silica.