Abstract: The invention relates to preparation of a rubber composition containing silica and carbon black reinforcement, the resultant rubber composition and tire with component comprised of such rubber composition.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with a circumferential rubber tread comprised of a rubber composition for promotion of reduced internal heat build-up. The invention particularly relates to truck tires.

Abstract: A process of manufacturing a rubber compound is disclosed. The process comprises providing a multiple shaft extruder device; feeding the multiple shaft extruder device with at least one polymer raw material or with a mixture of at least two different polymer raw materials; feeding the multiple shaft extruder device with at least one further raw material; mixing the at least one polymer raw material or the mixture of the different polymer raw materials and the at least one further raw material in the multiple shaft extruder device to prepare a rubber compound; and extruding the rubber compound from the multiple shaft extruder device. A plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices may be used in parallel or in sequence.

Abstract: A mixing apparatus for manufacturing a rubber compound is disclosed. The mixing apparatus comprises a plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices, each comprising at least one inlet for receiving a plurality of materials to be fed into the extruder device and an outlet for discharging a mixed material extruded by the extruder device. The multiple shaft extruder devices are either arranged in such a way that operatively the extrudate of at least one of the plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices can be fed into the inlet of at least one other of plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices, or are arranged to operate in parallel in such a way that operatively the extrudates of the plurality of multiple shaft extruder devices can be fed together into the inlet of at least one further mixing device.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tire with a circumferential rubber tread comprised of a rubber composition for promotion of reduced internal heat build-up. The invention particularly relates to truck tires.

Abstract: A tire adjustment system and utilization means therefor includes a vehicle having at lone or more electronic vehicle control systems such as an anti-lock brake system; steering wheel control system, electronic stability system; suspension control system; global positioning system. An electronic valve system is mounted to operatively adjust on a tire-by-tire basis the inflation pressure within each tire cavity responsive to an electronic input signal from at least one of the vehicle control systems. The inflation adjustment of each tire alters the tire tread footprint configuration to optimally correlate with one or more identified current road condition(s) traversed by the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a pneumatic radial ply truck tire having a tread with a tread depth D, at least two circumferential grooves dividing the tread into at least a first shoulder circumferential rib, an intermediary circumferential rib, and a second shoulder circumferential rib, the tire being characterized by the tread having a base region disposed at depth D and a cap region over the base region, the base region and the cap region adjoining along a boundary, the cap region comprising a cap rubber composition having properties measured at 23° C. of: elongation of 400 to 500%, true tensile of 77 to 83 MPa, 300% modulus of 9 to 11 MPa, tensile strength of 14 to 15 MPa, shore A hardness of 63 to 68, rebound of 20 to 25%; and the base region comprising a base rubber composition having properties measured at 23° C. of: elongation of 470 to 520%, true tensile of 135 to 150 MPa, 300% modulus of 13 to 15.5 MPa, tensile strength of 22 to 25 MPa, shore A hardness of 63 to 67, rebound 50 to 55%.

Abstract: The invention relates to preparation of a rubber composition containing silica and carbon black reinforcement, the resultant rubber composition and tire with component comprised of such rubber composition.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a pneumatic radial ply truck tire having a tread with a tread depth D, at least two circumferential grooves dividing the tread into at least a first shoulder circumferential rib, an intermediary circumferential rib, and a second shoulder circumferential rib, the tire being characterized by the tread having a base region disposed at depth D and a cap region over the base region, the base region and the cap region adjoining along a boundary, the cap region comprising a cap rubber composition having properties measured at 23° C. of: elongation of 400 to 500%, true tensile of 77 to 83 MPa, 300% modulus of 9 to 11 MPa, tensile strength of 14 to 15 MPa, shore A hardness of 63 to 68, rebound of 20 to 25%; and the base region comprising a base rubber composition having properties measured at 23° C. of: elongation of 470 to 520%, true tensile of 135 to 150 MPa, 300% modulus of 13 to 15.5 MPa, tensile strength of 22 to 25 MPa, shore A hardness of 63 to 67, rebound 50 to 55%.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for maintaining the black sidewall appearance of a tire, comprising the step of fabricating the tire with a rubber sidewall compound comprising 100 parts by weight of at least one diene based rubber; from 10 to 70 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of diene based rubber (phr) of a rubber process oil selected from the group consisting of aromatic, paraffinic, naphthenic, vegetable oils other than castor oil, and low PCA oils including MES, TDAE, SRAE and heavy naphthenic oils; and from 0.5 to 3 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of diene based rubber (phr) of a triglyceride derived from fatty acids comprising at least 80 percent by weight of at least one of ricinoleic acid and 12-hydroxy stearic acid.

Abstract: A tire is provided having a circumferential tread of a diene-based rubber composition reinforced with a silica-containing carbon black which contains domains of silica on its surface prepared by extended reactive mixing of said silica-containing carbon black with a coupling agent together with at least one elastomer. Said silica-containing carbon black is a carbon black which contains silica domains on its surface and said silica contains hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) on its surface, wherein said silica domains cover at least 50 percent of the carbon black surface. Said coupling agent is a bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide having an average of from 2 to 4, alternately a more limited average of from 2 to 3 or from 2 to 2.6, connecting sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge. In one aspect of the invention, it is preferred that said coupling agent is exclusive of a bis(3-trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide having an average of greater than 3.5 sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge.

Abstract: This invention relates to tires having a tread of a natural rubber-rich rubber composition reinforced with a combination of rubber reinforcing carbon black and precipitated silica in which carbon black is in the majority of such reinforcement. In one aspect, the tread rubber has a balance of physical properties. Such balance of physical properties includes relatively high hardness and abrasion resistance properties balanced with an acceptable rebound property.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a radial medium truck tire having a tread component comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), from about 5 to about 30 phr of high trans random SBR; from about 70 to about 95 phr of a combination of high cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber (BR) and cis 1,4-polyisoprene natural rubber (IR) in a IR/BR weight ratio of from about 1 to about 3; from about 20 to about 40 phr of carbon black; and from about 15 to about 35 phr of precipitated silica.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a radial medium truck tire having a tread component comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), from about 5 to about 30 phr of high trans random SBR; from about 70 to about 95 phr of a combination of high cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber (BR) and cis 1,4-polyisoprene natural rubber (IR) in a IR/BR weight ratio of from about 1 to about 3; from about 20 to about 40 phr of carbon black; and from about 15 to about 35 phr of precipitated silica.

Abstract: This invention relates to tires having a tread of a natural rubber-rich rubber composition reinforced with a combination of rubber reinforcing carbon black and precipitated silica in which carbon black is in the majority of such reinforcement. In one aspect, the tread rubber has a balance of physical properties. Such balance of physical properties includes relatively high hardness and abrasion resistance properties balanced with an acceptable rebound property.

Abstract: A tire is provided having a circumferential tread of a diene-based rubber composition reinforced with a silica-containing carbon black which contains domains of silica on its surface prepared by extended reactive mixing of said silica-containing carbon black with a coupling agent together with at least one elastomer. Said silica-containing carbon black is a carbon black which contains silica domains on its surface and said silica contains hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) on its surface, wherein said silica domains cover at least 50 percent of the carbon black surface. Said coupling agent is a bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide having an average of from 2 to 4, alternately a more limited average of from 2 to 3 or from 2 to 2.6, connecting sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge. In one aspect of the invention, it is preferred that said coupling agent is exclusive of a bis(3-trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide having an average of greater than 3.5 sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a rubber component comprised of (a) 100 parts by weight of at least one elastomer containing olefinic unsaturation; and (b) 1 to 20 phr of a liquid organic polysulfide polymer having a molecular weight of from 500 to 10,000.

Abstract: A tire is provided having a circumferential tread of a cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber based rubber composition reinforced with a carbon black/silica composite, wherein said carbon black/silica composite is a treated carbon black having silicon-containing domains, namely domains of silica, primarily on the surface of the carbon black, where said silica domains contain hydroxyl groups on their surface, wherein said silica domains cover at least 50 percent of the carbon black surface, and where said rubber composition contains a coupling agent as bis (3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide having an average of from 2 to 2.6 connecting sulfur atoms in its polysulfidic bridge, exclusive of a bis (3-trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide having an average of greater than 2.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tire with a tread which is reinforced with a quantitative amount of silica, including a silica coupler, where the tread rubbers are of a blend comprised of styrene/isoprene/butadiene terpolymer rubber and cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber or styrene/isoprene/butadiene terpolymer rubber, cis 1,4-polybutadiene rubber and isoprene/butadiene copolymer rubber. Optionally, the rubber blend can contain a minor amount of cis 1,4-polyisoprene natural rubber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rubber composition containing a starch/plasticizer composite and to pneumatic tires having at least one component comprised of such rubber composition. Such tire component can be, for example, its circumferential tread or other component of the tire.The starch/plasticizer composite can be a composite of starch and plasticizer such as, for example, poly(ethylenevinyl alcohol) and/or cellulose acetate or any suitable plasticizer which results in such starch/plasticizer composite having a melting point below that of the starch alone, and particularly below about 160.degree. C., and to thereby enable the starch to be more processable with conventional elastomer composition processing equipment.