Abstract: Rubber compositions having a modified rubber component selected from a modified polybutadiene rubber, a modified styrene-butadiene rubber, or combinations thereof, the modification being with a functional group having a hydrogen bond acceptor atom. Such functional group may be selected from a pyridine, a pyrrolidone, an ether, a ketone or an epoxide, the rubber composition having a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. The rubber composition may include an efficient plasticizing resin, which when included in a mixture consisting of the modified rubber component and 67 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin, causes a Tg of the mixture to be at least 14° C. higher than the Tg of the modified rubber component. The rubber composition may described as having the hydrogen bond acceptor atom located at least two covalent bond lengths or alternatively three covalent bond lengths from a backbone of the modified rubber component.

Abstract: Rubber compositions and articles such as tire components made therefrom, such rubber compositions including between 70 phr and 100 phr of an epoxidized rubber component selected from an epoxidized polybutadiene rubber (eBR), an epoxidized styrene-butadiene rubber (eSBR), or combinations thereof. Such epoxidized rubber components may have a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. and an epoxy-function content of between 1 mol % and 25 mol %. The rubber compositions may further include between 30 phr and 150 phr of a plasticizing resin and at least 40 phr of a silica. A guanidine derivative is included in such rubber compositions in an amount of between 3% and 10% by weight relative to the weight of the silica. The guanidine derivative provides significant improvement to the dispersion of the silica in the rubber during mixing.

Abstract: Rubber compositions having a modified rubber component selected from a modified polybutadiene rubber, a modified styrene-butadiene rubber, or combinations thereof, the modification being with a functional group having a hydrogen bond acceptor atom. Such functional group may be selected from a pyridine, a pyrrolidone, an ether, a ketone or an epoxide, the rubber composition having a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. The rubber composition may include an efficient plasticizing resin, which when included in a mixture consisting of the modified rubber component and 67 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin, causes a Tg of the mixture to be at least 14° C. higher than the Tg of the modified rubber component. The rubber composition may described as having the hydrogen bond acceptor atom located at least two covalent bond lengths or alternatively three covalent bond lengths from a backbone of the modified rubber component.

Abstract: Rubber compositions and articles made from such rubber compositions that are based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition, the cross-linkable elastomer composition comprising, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr) between 70 phr and 100 phr of an epoxidized rubber component selected from an epoxidized polybutadiene rubber (eBR), an epoxidized styrene-butadiene rubber (eSBR), or combinations thereof, wherein the epoxidized rubber component has a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. and an epoxy-function content of between 1 mol % and 25 mol %. Such rubber compositions may further include between 30 phr and 150 phr of a plasticizing resin, silica and a coupling agent that is a monohydroxysilane polysulfide having a form (Formula I) wherein radicals R, identical or different, are hydrocarbon groups, radicals R?, identical or different, are divalent linking groups and x is equal to or greater than 2.

Abstract: Rubber compositions having a modified rubber component selected from a modified polybutadiene rubber, a modified styrene-butadiene rubber, or combinations thereof, the modification being with a functional group having a hydrogen bond acceptor atom. Such functional group may be selected from a pyridine, a pyrrolidone, an ether, a ketone or an epoxide, the rubber composition having a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. The rubber composition may include an efficient plasticizing resin, which when included in a mixture consisting of the modified rubber component and 67 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin, causes a Tg of the mixture to be at least 14° C. higher than the Tg of the modified rubber component. The rubber composition may described as having the hydrogen bond acceptor atom located at least two covalent bond lengths or alternatively three covalent bond lengths from a backbone of the modified rubber component.

Abstract: A method that includes providing a modified rubber component selected from a modified polybutadiene rubber (BR), a modified styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) or combinations thereof, wherein the modified rubber component has been modified with a functional group having a heteroatom selected from oxygen, nitrogen, silicon or combinations thereof and wherein the rubber component has a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. and selecting an efficient plasticizing resin. An efficient plasticizing resin is one that when included in a mixture of the modified rubber component and 67 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin, causes a Tg of the mixture to be at least 14° C. higher than the Tg of the modified rubber component itself. Methods may further include mixing between 70 phr and 100 phr of the modified rubber component with between 30 phr and 130 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin.

Abstract: A rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition comprising, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr) between 70 phr and 100 phr of an epoxidized rubber component selected from an epoxidized polybutadiene rubber (eBR), an epoxidized styrene-butadiene rubber (eSBR), or combinations thereof, wherein the epoxidized rubber component has a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. and an epoxy-function content of between 1 mol % and 25 mol %; between 30 phr and 150 phr of a plasticizing resin; and a quickly reactive silica that provides a macro dispersion Z-value of at least 50 in a defined rubber composition; and a non-silol coupling agent.

Abstract: Rubber compositions and articles made from such rubber compositions that are based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition, the cross-linkable elastomer composition comprising, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr) between 70 phr and 100 phr of an epoxidized rubber component selected from an epoxidized polybutadiene rubber (eBR), an epoxidized styrene-butadiene rubber (eSBR), or combinations thereof, wherein the epoxidized rubber component has a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. and an epoxy-function content of between 1 mol % and 25 mol %. Such rubber compositions may further include between 30 phr and 150 phr of a plasticizing resin, silica and a coupling agent that is a monohydroxysilane polysulfide having a form (Formula I) wherein radicals R, identical or different, are hydrocarbon groups, radicals R?, identical or different, are divalent linking groups and x is equal to or greater than 2.

Abstract: Rubber compositions having a modified rubber component selected from a modified polybutadiene rubber, a modified styrene-butadiene rubber, or combinations thereof, the modification being with a functional group having a hydrogen bond acceptor atom. Such functional group may be selected from a pyridine, a pyrrolidone, an ether, a ketone or an epoxide, the rubber composition having a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. The rubber composition may include an efficient plasticizing resin, which when included in a mixture consisting of the modified rubber component and 67 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin, causes a Tg of the mixture to be at least 14° C. higher than the Tg of the modified rubber component. The rubber composition may described as having the hydrogen bond acceptor atom located at least two covalent bond lengths or alternatively three covalent bond lengths from a backbone of the modified rubber component.

Abstract: Rubber compositions, rubber articles and methods for making such rubber articles that include a rubber composition having, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr), a modified rubber component such as an epoxidized rubber component selected from an epoxidized polybutadiene rubber (eBR), an epoxidized styrene-butadiene rubber (eSBR), or combinations thereof having a Tg of between ?80° C. and ?110° C. as well as a second rubber component selected from the group consisting of a polybutadiene rubber (BR), a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and combinations thereof. Also between 30 phr and 130 phr of an efficient plasticizing resin may be included. An efficient plasticizing resin is one that when included in a mixture of the modified rubber component and 67 phr of the efficient plasticizing resin, causes a Tg of the mixture to be at least 14° C. higher than the Tg of the modified rubber component itself.