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: The present invention is directed to improved tire tread compositions, such as silica-filled tire tread compositions, and tires using the same. In one embodiment, a tire tread is provided that includes a diene-based elastomer, a reinforcing filler that includes an inorganic filler (e.g., silica), and a plurality of silane compounds including bis(dialkylalkoxysilyl-alkyl) polysulfide coupling agent and at least one alkoxysilane compound selected from a hydrophobating bis(trialkoxyl)silane coupling and a hydrophobating mono(trialkoxyl)silane dispersing agent.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition which comprises: 1) 100 parts by weight of elastomer consisting of 25 to 35 phr of a styrene-butadiene rubber, 45 to 75 phr of a polybutadiene, and 5 to 15 phr of a natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene, wherein the styrene-butadiene rubber is a functionalized and has a Tg(A) ranging from ?30 to ?10° C.; the natural rubber or synthetic polyisoprene has a Tg(B) ranging from ?60 to ?70° C.; and the polybutadiene is a cis 1,4 polybutadiene having a Tg(C) ranging from ?110 to ?90° C., wherein Tg(A)?Tg(B)?25° C., and Tg(B)?Tg(C)?25° C.; 2) 70 to 100 phr of silica; 3) 1 to 20 phr of carbon black; 4) 1 to 15 phr of rubber processing oil; and 5) 5 to 50 phr of at least one hydrocarbon resin having a Tg?20° C. and a rosin derived resin.

Abstract: The subject invention is based upon the unexpected discovery that the use of a very specific combination of hydrophobating silanes and sulfur crosslinkable silanes can be used to attain outstanding performance characteristics in silica reinforced rubber formulations. More specifically, these rubber formulations provide a highly desirable combination of both improved abrasion characteristics and reduced hysteresis without compromising other important rubber characteristics. The present invention more specifically discloses a sulfur cured rubber formulation which is the reaction product of (1) at least one rubbery polymer, (2) sulfur, (3) silica, (4) 2 phf to 12 phf of a hydrophobating silane, and (5) 0.5 phf to 3 phf of a crosslinkable silane. The weight ratio of the hydrophobating silane to the crosslinkable silane will typically be within the range of about 2:1 to about 20:1.

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: The invention relates to a tire having a component, particularly a circumferential tread, of a rubber composition containing precipitated silica reinforcement, vegetable oil, specialized styrene/butadiene elastomer having a molecular weight profile containing a limited low molecular weight content and traction promoting resin.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, a belt structure, and a carcass, wherein the carcass has a radial ply and two bead sections; each bead section comprising a bead and a compound apex comprising an inner apex section and an outer apex section, the inner apex section and outer apex section axially adjoining, the outer apex section disposed axially outward of the inner apex; the inner apex section adjoining the bead and extending radially from the bead; the outer apex section adjoining the bead and extending radially from the bead to a greater extent than the inner apex section; wherein the inner apex section comprises a rubber composition having a shear storage modulus G? measured at 1% strain and 100° C. according to ASTM D5289 ranging from 18 to 32 MPa, and the outer apex section comprises a rubber composition having a shear storage modulus G? measured at 1% strain and 100° C. according to ASTM D5289 ranging from 1.2 to 10 MPa.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a component comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 60 to about 90 phr of a polymer comprising (1) a terminating group provided from a terminating compound XnSi(OR)mR?4-m-n wherein X is a chlorine atom, a bromine atom or an iodine atom, R is an alkyl group with from about 1 carbon to about 7 carbons, R? is a alkyl group with from about 1 carbon to about 20 carbons, an aryl group, a vinyl group or a halogenated alkyl group, m is an integer from about 1 to about 4, n is an integer from about 0 to about 2, and a sum of n and m is from 1 to 4; (2) repeat units comprising: (a) a repeat unit provided from a conjugated diolefin monomer, and (b) a repeat unit provided from an amine monomer; (B) from about 40 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a microstructure comprised of about 96 to about 99 percent cis 1,4-isomeric units, about 0.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a component comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 60 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber functionalized with an alkoxysilane group and a primary amines; (B) from about 40 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a microstructure comprised of about 96 to about 99 percent cis 1,4-isomeric units, about 0.1 to about 1 percent trans 1,4-isomeric units and from about 1 to about 3 percent vinyl 1,2-isomeric units; a number average molecular weight (Mn) in a range of from about 75,000 to about 150,000 and a heterogeneity index (Mw/Mn) in a range of from about 3/1 to about 5/1; and (C) from about 50 to about 150 phr of silica.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a component comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 60 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber functionalized with an alkoxysilane group and at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of primary amines and thiols; (B) from about 40 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a microstructure comprised of about 96 to about 99 percent cis 1,4-isomeric units, about 0.1 to about 1 percent trans 1,4-isomeric units and from about 1 to about 3 percent vinyl 1,2-isomeric units; a number average molecular weight (Mn) in a range of from about 75,000 to about 150,000 and a heterogeneity index (Mw/Mn) in a range of from about 3/1 to about 5/1; and (C) from about 50 to about 150 phr of silica.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with a sidewall composition comprised of a combination of emulsion polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene rubber (referred to herein as emulsion SBR or E-SBR), an alkylphenol/acetylene based tackifying resin, cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber and a controlled minor amount of cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, preferably natural rubber.

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.