Abstract: Modified rubber compositions are described which comprise at least one polymer rubber containing carbon-carbon unsaturation, at least one aromatic furazan oxide, and at least one hydrocarbon-soluble transition metal salt. When a transition metal salt is included in such polymer rubber formulations containing aromatic furazan oxides, the undesirable odors which normally characteristic of such rubber formulations is diminished or eliminated without significantly reducing the other desirable characteristics of the vulcanized rubbers. For example, filled vulcanizates made by vulcanizing mixtures in accordance with the invention exhibit high rebound, and tires which are formulated to include at least a portion of the cured vulcanizates in the tread exhibit reduced rolling resistance. Preferably, the hydrocarbon-soluble transition metal salts are the aliphatic or alicyclic monocarboxylic acid salts or cobalt, iron, nickel or manganese.

Abstract: Modified rubber compositions are described which when cured exhibit high rebound and reduced hysteresis. The uncured rubber compositions are prepared by reacting (a) at least one polymer rubber containing an alkali metal and carbon-carbon unsaturation with (b) at least one aromatic six-membered heterocyclic nitrogen-containing compound substituted with a group capable of reacting with the alkali metal of the polymer rubber. Filled vulcanizates made by vulcanizing a composition comprising at least one of the above-described uncured modified rubber compositions and one or more reinforcing fillers also are described. When tire treads are prepared utilizing the filled vulcanizates of the present invention, the tires exhibit improved properties such as reduced running temperature and rolling resistance.

Abstract: A polymer is metalated with a lithiating reagent and an tetraalkylethylene, the ratio of active lithium atoms in the lithiating reagent to the molecules of the amine being from 0.01 to 1.5. Such lithiated polymer may then be further reacted to introduce reactive groups of many varieties along the polymer chain. For example, polybutadiene, polyisoprene and other unsaturated polymers may be reacted with butyl lithium and triethylene diamine; and the lithiated polymer may then be reacted with carbon dioxide, and the resulting product may be neutralized to produce a polymer containing carboxyl groups, or the lithiated polymer may be reacted with styrene or a mixture of styrene and butadiene, or styrene and isoprene, etc.