Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, the tread comprising a rubber composition comprising a diene elastomer, a pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica, a blocked mercaptosilane, a terpene-phenol resin, and a low molecular weight polybutadiene functionalized with a hydroxyl functional group, wherein the pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica is hydrophobated prior to its addition the rubber composition by treatment with at least one silane selected from the group consisting of alkylsilanes, alkoxysilanes, organoalkoxysilyl polysulfides and organomercaptoalkoxysilanes and optionally at least one dispersing aid selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, diethylene glycols, polyethylene glycols, fatty acid esters of hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated C5 or C6 sugars, polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty acid esters of hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated C5 or C6 sugars.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with a tread of a rubber composition containing a combination of high and low glass transition temperature (Tg) synthetic elastomers. The high Tg elastomer is comprised of a high Tg, high vinyl content, functionalized polybutadiene rubber and the low Tg elastomer is comprised of a low Tg, low vinyl content, functionalized polybutadiene rubber. The tread rubber may contain traction resins, may contain rosin acid and may contain triglyceride vegetable rubber processing oil.

Abstract: This invention is based upon the unexpected finding that a hydrocarbon traction resin can be dispersed into the oil used in making an oil extended emulsion and solution rubbers to attain improved performance characteristics. For instance, this technique allows for the hydrocarbon traction resin to be incorporated into the rubber at a higher level than would ordinarily be possible using conventional mixing techniques. In tire tread compounds this provides improved wet traction characteristics without compromising cured stiffness (dry traction) and ultimate properties (chip/chunk resistance). This technique can be used to incorporate a resin into virtually any synthetic rubber that can benefit from being oil extended. It is of particular value in making resin modified solution styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR), emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR), high cis-1.4-polybutadiene rubber, and synthetic polyisoprene rubber which are formulated for use in tire tread compounds.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire comprising a tread, the tread comprising a rubber composition comprising a diene elastomer, a pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica, a blocked mercaptosilane, a terpene-phenol resin, and a low molecular weight polybutadiene functionalized with a hydroxyl functional group, wherein the pre-hydrophobated precipitated silica is hydrophobated prior to its addition the rubber composition by treatment with at least one silane selected from the group consisting of alkylsilanes, alkoxysilanes, organoalkoxysilyl polysulfides and organomercaptoalkoxysilanes and optionally at least one dispersing aid selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, diethylene glycols, polyethylene glycols, fatty acid esters of hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated C5 or C6 sugars, polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty acid esters of hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated C5 or C6 sugars.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 60 to about 100 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having more than 98 percent of the repeat units derived from styrene in blocks containing less than five repeat units, Tg ranging from ?65° C. to ?79° C.; (B) up to 40 phr of polybutadiene having a cis 1,4 content greater than 95 percent and a Tg ranging from ?80 to ?110° C.; (C) from 30 to 80 phr of a combination of a resin having a Tg of at least 30° C. and an oil, wherein the weight ratio of resin to oil is greater than 1.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 60 to about 40 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.; (B) from about 40 to about 60 phr of natural rubber; and (C) from about 5 to 40 phr of a process oil; (D) optionally, from about 5 to 15 phr of a hydrocarbon traction resin (E) from 60 to 90 phr of silica; wherein the weight ratio of silica to the sum of the amounts of oil and traction resin is greater than 2.2.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of elastomer consisting of 70 to 100 parts by weight, er 100 parts by weight of the elastomer (phr), of an isoprene-butadiene rubber having a Tg ranging from ?100° C. to ?50° C., and 0 to 30 phr of a second elastomer selected from the group consisting of isoprene-butadiene rubber having a Tg ranging from ?49 to ?20° C., natural rubber, synthetic polyisoprene, and polybutadiene, (B) from 30 to 80 phr of a resin having a Tg of at least 20 C, (C) from 0 to 4 phr of an oil, and (D) from 80 to 180 of a filler selected from the group consisting of carbon black and silica.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a radially outer cap layer and radially inner cap layer underlying the outer cap layer; the outer cap layer comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 80 to about 20 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.; (B) from about 20 to about 80 phr of natural rubber; and (C) from 30 to 70 phr of a process oil; (D) from 70 to 150 phr of silica; wherein the weight ratio of silica to oil in the outer cap is less than 2.2; the inner cap layer comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising: (i) from about 60 to about 40 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), 100 phr of a diene based elastomer having a glass transition temperature less than ?50° C.; from 30 to 65 phr of a fatty acid monoester of formula 1 where R1 is selected from C1 to C8 linear or branched alkyl, C1 to C8 linear or branched alkenyl, and C2 to C6 linear or branched alkyl substituted with from one to five hydroxyl groups; R2 is C11 to C21 alkyl or C11 to C21 alkenyl; less than 10 phr of a petroleum-derived oil; and from 50 to 130 phr of silica.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with a tread of a rubber composition for promoting a combination of beneficial wet traction and reduced rolling resistance, while limiting any loss of winter traction at low temperatures. The tread rubber composition contains a combination of high and lower glass transition temperature (Tg) elastomers. Its reinforcing filler is primarily precipitated silica. The high Tg elastomer is comprised of synthetic high vinyl polybutadiene rubber and the lower Tg elastomer is comprised of at least one of natural and synthetic cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber. The tread rubber composition may contain at least one of vegetable oil based rubber processing aid and traction promoting resin. The tread rubber composition is intended to be exclusive of styrene-containing elastomers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 50 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?65° C. to ?55° C. and functionalized with an alkoxysilane group and at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of primary amines and thiols; (B) from about 50 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a cis 1,4 content greater than 95 percent and a Tg ranging from ?80 to ?110° C.; (C) from 30 to 80 phr of a combination of a resin having a Tg of at least 30° C. and an oil, wherein the weight ratio of resin to oil is greater than 1.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 60 to about 40 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.; (B) from about 40 to about 60 phr of natural rubber; and (C) from about 5 to 40 phr of a process oil; (D) optionally, from about 5 to 15 phr of a hydrocarbon traction resin (E) from 60 to 90 phr of silica; wherein the weight ratio of silica to the sum of the amounts of oil and traction resin is greater than 2.2.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a radially outer cap layer and radially inner cap layer underlying the outer cap layer; the outer cap layer comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 80 to about 20 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.; (B) from about 20 to about 80 phr of natural rubber; and (C) from 30 to 70 phr of a process oil; (D) from 70 to 150 phr of silica; wherein the weight ratio of silica to oil in the outer cap is less than 2.2; the inner cap layer comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising: (i) from about 60 to about 40 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 80 to about 20 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?85° C. to ?50° C.; (B) from about 20 to about 80 phr of natural rubber; and (C) from 30 to 70 phr of a process oil; (D) from 70 to 150 phr of silica; wherein the weight ratio of silica to oil is less than 2.2.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a tread base layer and an outer cap layer disposed radially outward of the base layer, the outer cap layer comprising an axially central zone and two lateral zones each disposed axially adjacent to the central zone; the central zone comprising a central zone composition and lateral zones each comprising a lateral zone composition; the central zone composition and the lateral zone composition each comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), from about 50 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?65° C. to ?55° C. and functionalized with an alkoxysilane group and at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of primary amines and thiols; from about 50 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a cis 1,4 content greater than 95 percent and a Tg ranging from ?80 to ?110° C.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), 100 phr of a diene based elastomer having a glass transition temperature less than ?50° C.; from 30 to 65 phr of a fatty acid monoester of formula 1 where R1 is selected from C1 to C8 linear or branched alkyl, C1 to C8 linear or branched alkenyl, and C2 to C6 linear or branched alkyl substituted with from one to five hydroxyl groups; R2 is C11 to C21 alkyl or C11 to C21 alkenyl; less than 10 phr of a petroleum-derived oil; and from 50 to 130 phr of silica.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 50 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?65° C. to ?55° C. and functionalized with an alkoxysilane group and at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of primary amines and thiols; (B) from about 50 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a cis 1,4 content greater than 95 percent and a Tg ranging from ?80 to ?110° C.; (C) from 30 to 80 phr of a combination of a resin having a Tg of at least 30° C. and an oil, wherein the weight ratio of resin to oil is greater than 1.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with tread for promoting a combination of wet traction and service at low temperatures of a rubber composition containing a styrene/butadiene elastomer, cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber, liquid high Tg styrene/butadiene polymer, resin and vegetable triglyceride oil.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 50 to about 90 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from ?65° C. to ?55° C. and functionalized with an alkoxysilane group and at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of primary amines and thiols; (B) from about 50 to about 10 phr of polybutadiene having a cis 1,4 content greater than 95 percent and a Tg ranging from ?80 to ?110° C.; (C) from 30 to 80 phr of a combination of a resin having a Tg of at least 30° C. and an oil, wherein the weight ratio of resin to oil is greater than 1.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), (A) from about 50 to about 100 phr of a first polybutadiene rubber comprising from 65 to 95 percent of repeat units derived from butadiene in cis-1,4 insertion, 4 to 30 percent by weight of repeat units derived from butadiene in vinyl-1,2 insertion, and less than or equal to 5 percent by weight of repeat units derived from butadiene in trans-1,4 insertion, ?80 to ?105° C.; (B) up to 50 phr of at least one rubber selected from the group consisting of a second polybutadiene having a cis-1,4 content greater than 95 percent and a Tg ranging from ?80 to ?110° C., natural rubber, and synthetic polyisoprene having a cis-1,4 content greater than 95 percent by weight and a Tg ranging from ?50 to ?80° C.