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: A rubber component for a tire is disclosed that is manufactured from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition that includes 100 phr of two elastomer types including at least 50 phr of a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with a polybutadiene (BR) as the remainder. Such compositions may further include between 75 phr and 130 phr of a carbon black. Also included in such elastomers is a plasticizing system that includes a plasticizing resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 25° C. and a plasticizing liquid. The plasticizing system is added in an effective amount to provide the cured rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.7 MPa and 1.6 MPa and a measured Tg of between ?30° C. and 0° C. The elastomer composition is cured with curing system that includes both a peroxide and sulfur.

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: A tire tread manufactured at least in part from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition comprising between 80 phr and 100 phr of a polybutadiene-based elastomer modified with a functional group that is capable of interacting with a silica reinforcing filler, wherein a polybutadiene portion of the polybutadiene-based elastomer has between 8 wt % and 15 wt % vinyl units, wherein the polybutadiene-based elastomer includes at least 30 mol % trans-bonds, and wherein the polybutadiene-based elastomer has a glass transition temperature of between ?100° C. and ?80° C. Such rubber composition is cured with a peroxide curing agent and includes an organosilane coupling agent having in some embodiments no or little sulfur content.

Abstract: A tire, which has an improved grip on wet ground, includes a tread formed of at least a rubber composition. The rubber composition includes: 20 to 100 phr of a first diene elastomer bearing at least one SiOR function, with R being hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical, and with phr referring to parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer; 100 to 160 phr of a reinforcing inorganic filler; and a plasticizing system. The plasticizing system includes: a content A of between 5 and 60 phr of a hydrocarbon resin having a Tg above 20° C.; and a content B of between 5 and 60 phr of a liquid plasticizing agent. A total content A+B is greater than 45 phr. The rubber composition optionally includes 0 to 80 phr of a second diene elastomer.

Abstract: A tread for a tire manufactured from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition that includes 100 phr of two elastomer types including at least 50 phr of a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with a polybutadiene (BR) as the remainder. Such compositions may further include between 90 phr and 150 phr of silica filler with an organosilane coupling agent having in some embodiments no or little sulfur content. A plasticizing system includes a high Tg plasticizing resin and may include a plasticizing liquid. The plasticizing system is added in an effective amount to provide the cured rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.6 MPa and 1.5 MPa and a measured Tg of between ?30° C. and 0° C. The elastomer composition is cured with a peroxide curing system.

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 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: 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: A tire component is disclosed that is made of a thermoplastic composition that is based upon a cross-linkable composition. The composition includes, per 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic elastomer, 100 phr of a thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer that comprises an elastomer block and a hard thermoplastic block. The elastomer block is a diene elastomer and the hard thermoplastic block has a glass transition temperature greater than 80° C. The composition further includes a reinforcing filler and a curing system. In particular embodiments the reinforcing filler may be carbon black, silica or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Tire treads having improved traction properties while surprisingly still maintaining good material cohesion properties, the tire treads comprising a rubber composition based upon a highly unsaturated diene elastomer and between 95 phr and 160 phr of an inorganic reinforcing filler. The composition may further include between 60 phr and 130 phr of a plasticizing system made up of a plasticizing resin having a Tg of at least 25° C. and a plasticizing liquid. The rubber composition is cured with an ultra-efficient sulfur curing system having a sulfur to accelerator weight ratio adjusted between 0.02 and 0.2 to provide the rubber composition with an MA300/G* ratio of greater than 1.7, wherein the elongation modulus MA300 at 300% is measured at 23° C. and the shear modulus G* is measured at 60° C.

Abstract: A rubber component for a tire is disclosed that is manufactured from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition that includes 100 phr of two elastomer types including at least 50 phr of a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with a polybutadiene (BR) as the remainder. Such compositions may further include between 75 phr and 130 phr of a carbon black. Also included in such elastomers is a plasticizing system that includes a plasticizing resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 25° C. and a plasticizing liquid. The plasticizing system is added in an effective amount to provide the cured rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60° C. of between 0.7 MPa and 1.6 MPa and a measured Tg of between ?30° C. and 0° C. The elastomer composition is cured with curing system that includes both a peroxide and sulfur.

Abstract: A tread for a tire is disclosed that is manufactured from a rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition that includes 100 phr of two elastomer types including at least 50 phr of a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with a polybutadiene (BR) as the remainder. Such compositions may further include between 75 phr and 130 phr of a carbon black. Also included in such elastomers is a plasticizing system that includes a plasticizing resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 25 ° C. and a plasticizing liquid. The plasticizing system is added in an effective amount to provide the cured rubber composition with a shear modulus G* measured at 60 ° C. of between 0.7 MPa and 1.6 MPa and a measured Tg of between ?30 ° C. and 0 ° C. The elastomer composition is cured with a peroxide curing system.

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: 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.