Abstract: A tire comprising a tire component formed from a cross-linkable rubber composition having a rubber component selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, a synthetic rubber and combinations thereof with between 50 phr and 80 phr of a silica reinforcement filler having a BET surface area of between 100 m2/g and 135 m2/g measured in accordance with ASTM D1993. The cross-linkable rubber composition further includes a silica coupling agent and a sulfur curing system comprising between 1 phr and 2 phr of sulfur and an accelerator in an amount to provide a ratio of the sulfur to the accelerator by weight of between 0.4 and 0.6.

Abstract: Rubber compositions and articles made such rubber compositions having at least 80 phr of a styrene-butadiene elastomer modified with a functional group that is capable of interacting with a silica reinforcing filler and having a glass transition temperature of between ?60° C. and less than ?40° C. The rubber compositions may also include an effective amount of a plasticizing system having a plasticizing resin and a plasticizing liquid, wherein the effective amount of the plasticizing system provides the rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.9 MPa and 1.5 MPa and a Tg of between ?35° C. and ?15°. The filler for the rubber compositions is silica and there is further a curing system.

Abstract: A tire tread formed at least in part from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable rubber composition that may include between 50 phr and 90 phr of a first highly unsaturated elastomer being middle chain functionalized with an aminoalkoxysilane group and having a Tg of between ?108° C. and ?45° C. and between 10 phr and 50 phr of a second highly unsaturated elastomer being end-chain functionalized with a silanol group and having a Tg of between ?108° C. and ?10° C. The rubber composition may further include between 50 phr and 150 phr of a silica filler and a plasticizing system comprising between 5 phr and 120 phr of a plasticizing resin having a Tg of at least 25° C. and between 0 phr and 60 phr of a plasticizing liquid.

Abstract: Rubber compositions that are particularly suitable for the undertread for a tire tread, such rubber compositions including a functionalized polybutadiene rubber and a second rubber component such as a styrene butadiene copolymer, natural rubber, another polybutadiene or other diene rubber or combinations thereof. Such rubber compositions are reinforced with a carbon black reinforcing filler that may be characterized as a low-surface area, high structure carbon black having a nitrogen surface area of between 15 m2/g and 25 m2/g and a COAN of between 65 ml/100 g and 85 ml/100 g.

Abstract: Rubber compositions and articles made such rubber compositions having at least 80 phr of a styrene-butadiene elastomer modified with a functional group that is capable of interacting with a silica reinforcing filler and having a glass transition temperature of between ?60° C. and less than ?40° C. The rubber compositions may also include an effective amount of a plasticizing system having a plasticizing resin and a plasticizing liquid, wherein the effective amount of the plasticizing system provides the rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.9 MPa and 1.5 MPa and a Tg of between ?35° C. and ?15°. The filler for the rubber compositions is silica and there is further a curing system.

Abstract: A tire has a material diffusion barrier, and a method produces the same. In an embodiment, a method for producing a material diffusion barrier on a tire comprises exposing a surface of the tire to a cationic solution to produce a cationic layer on the surface. The method further comprises exposing the cationic layer to an anionic solution to produce an anionic layer on the cationic layer, wherein a layer comprises the cationic layer and the anionic layer. The layer comprises the material diffusion barrier.

Abstract: Tire treads and tires having such tire treads are included, such treads manufactured with a rubber composition that includes mostly, if not entirely, a polybutadiene rubber having cis-1,4 bond content of at least 95%. The rubber composition further includes between 60 phr and 95 phr of a plasticizing resin having a Tg of at least 25° C. and between 0 phr and 15 phr of a liquid plasticizer. Additionally the rubber composition is reinforced with at least 90 phr of a silica reinforcing filler. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the rubber composition may be reinforced with an organic filler, an inorganic filler or combinations thereof. In some of these embodiments, the rubber composition includes at least 90 phr of such reinforcing filler.

Abstract: A tire tread formed at least in part from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable rubber composition that may include between 50 phr and 90 phr of a first highly unsaturated elastomer being middle chain functionalized with an aminoalkoxysilane group and having a Tg of between ?108° C. and ?45° C. and between 10 phr and 50 phr of a second highly unsaturated elastomer being end-chain functionalized with a silanol group and having a Tg of between ?108° C. and ?10° C. The rubber composition may further include between 50 phr and 150 phr of a silica filler and a plasticizing system comprising between 5 phr and 120 phr of a plasticizing resin having a Tg of at least 25° C. and between 0 phr and 60 phr of a plasticizing liquid.

Abstract: Tire treads and tires having such tire treads are included, such treads manufactured with a rubber composition that includes mostly, if not entirely, a polybutadiene rubber having cis-1,4 bond content of at least 95%. The rubber composition further includes between 60 phr and 95 phr of a plasticizing resin having a Tg of at least 25° C. and between 0 phr and 15 phr of a liquid plasticizer. Additionally the rubber composition is reinforced with at least 90 phr of a silica reinforcing filler. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the rubber composition may be reinforced with an organic filler, an inorganic filler or combinations thereof. In some of these embodiments, the rubber composition includes at least 90 phr of such reinforcing filler.

Abstract: A tread for a tire, the tread comprising a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition, the cross-linkable elastomer composition comprising, per hundred parts by weight of rubber (phr), a high-Tg rubber being a highly unsaturated diene elastomer having a glass transition temperature of between ?30° C. and 0° C., a low-Tg rubber being a highly unsaturated diene elastomer having a glass transition temperature of between ?110° C. and ?60° C. The high-Tg and the low-Tg elastomers are incompatible and this provides, among other advantages, improved snow traction of the tread when compared to tire treads having lower Tg.

Abstract: A design for a high-speed tire tread is provided that gives improved performance in both water and snow conditions. The tread region of the tire uses transversely-oriented grooves that each extend across the width of the tread region. There are no grooves or other tread features that provide substantial fluid communication between the transversely-oriented grooves. Features are also provided that decrease the pull under torque associated with such a design.

Abstract: Tire treads having one or more repeating pitches, each repeating pitch comprising individual pitches having tread blocks with sipes formed therein and each pitch having a pitch length of between 15 mm and 35 mm. Such treads may also have a weighted average sipe density Dw of between 10 mm?1 and 37 mm?1, which is determined through the disclosed Eq. 2 below. The tread blocks are also formed from a rubber composition based upon a diene elastomer, a plasticizing system and a cross-linking system, wherein the rubber composition has a glass transition temperature of between ?40° C. and ?15° C. and a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.5 MPa and 1.1 MPa.

Abstract: Device for inspecting defects in semiconductor wafers, comprising a member for detecting surface defects using variations in the slope of a surface of the wafer, a member for detecting surface defects using variations in the light intensity reflected by a surface of the wafer, at a plurality of points, a member for detecting light intensity scattered by the surface of the wafer, a light source, and a detecting and classifying mechanism connected upstream of said detecting members.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to tires having treads that have a configuration and/or properties for providing suitable snow and dry traction, and, more specifically, to a tire that has a tread that has a maximum value for sipe density in the contact patch, a minimum value for lateral groove density in the contact patch, and a minimum value for the longitudinal contact surface ratio. In certain embodiments, the pitch length of pitches or repeating units of tread geometry along the circumferential direction of the tire is within a certain range and the tread depth is below a specified value. Tires with treads having a configuration that falls within these design parameters exhibit a desirably good level of snow and dry traction.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to tires having treads that have a configuration and/or properties for maintaining hydroplaning performance, dry braking performance and improved wear resistance, and, more specifically, to a tire that has a tread that N has a variable sipe density, i.e a higher sipe density in its central portion and a lower sipe density in its shoulder portions, as well as a round crown with a predetermined inflated profile droop. Another embodiment of the present invention further includes the addition of a member that provides more structural stiffness across the crown of a tire, such that better compromises between hydroplaning, dry braking, and wear performances can be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tire tread having a configuration and material properties that improve wet traction. In particular, the tread has a specified minimum threshold for chamfer density and a maximum level of complex shear modulus for the material that constitutes the tread in order to optimize the road friction coefficient (p) a tire tread experiences during a wet braking event. This results in better wet traction and a shorter stopping distance during the braking event.

Abstract: Device for inspecting defects in semiconductor wafers, comprising a member for detecting surface defects using variations in the slope of a surface of the wafer, a member for detecting surface defects using variations in the light intensity reflected by a surface of the wafer, at a plurality of points, a member for detecting light intensity scattered by the surface of the wafer, a light source, and a detecting and classifying mechanism connected upstream of said detecting members.

Abstract: In a suspension system that connects a wheel support to a vehicle body, the wheel support is designed to carry a wheel of radius “r”, the wheel is intended to rest on the ground via a contact area, the system includes an arrangement that confers upon the wheel support, relative to the body, a degree of freedom of the camber and a degree of freedom of the deflection of the suspension that are independent of one another. The system is configured such that the camber movement of the wheel support relative to the body has, around a mean position, an instantaneous center of rotation (CIR r/c) located within a range from 2.5 r above ground to r below ground.

Abstract: In a suspension system that connects a wheel support to a vehicle body, the wheel support is designed to carry a wheel of radius “r”, the wheel is intended to rest on the ground via a contact area, the system includes an arrangement that confers upon the wheel support, relative to the body, a degree of freedom of the camber and a degree of freedom of the deflection of the suspension that are independent of one another. The system is configured such that the camber movement of the wheel support relative to the body has, around a mean position, an instantaneous center of rotation (CIR r/c) located within a range from 2.5 r above ground to r below ground.