Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

James D Ulmer

William L Hergenrother

Christine M Rademacher

James Herman Pawlow

Christopher G Robertson

Waruna C B Kiridena

Michael C Davis

Xiao-Dong Pan

Yaohong Chen

Mindaugas Rackaitis

Joseph Lanzarotta

Robert G Barned

Nicole Capitos-Davis

Anthony J Ramic

Lisa Marie Dinger

Jeffrey Quinn

Terrence Eugene Hogan

David F Lawson

Daniel F Graves

John L Turner

Georg G A Böhm

David O Stalnaker

Arif Omer Gozen

Erik F Knuth

Sunil B Sarkar

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to polyolefin grafted polydiene polymers, wherein the polyolefin grafted polydiene polymers comprises a polydiene having a polydiene polymer backbone, a polyolefin, and at least one sulfur containing functionalizing agent which grafts the polyolefin onto at least one non-terminal position on the polydiene polymer backbone.

Polyolefin grafted polydiene polymers, and methods of making and using same

A nanoparticle includes a copolymer comprising a vinyl-aromatic monomer and a heterocyclic monomer. The copolymer is crosslinked with a multifunctional crosslinking agent polymerizable through an addition reaction. A nanoparticle and elastomer composition is disclosed. Several methods of mixing heterocyclic and non-heterocyclic monomer nanoparticles into an elastomer are also disclosed. These methods include mixing in a multi-elements static mixer and an intermeshing mixer with venting, among others.

Nanoparticle fillers and methods of mixing into elastomers

A method of preparing a green tire innerliner, the method comprising mixing one or more vulcanizable rubbery polymers, less than 0.75 parts by weight zinc oxide, less than 0.75 parts by weight magnesium oxide, and less than 0.75 parts by weight sulfur, per 100 parts by weight rubber, to form a vulcanizable mixture and extruding the mixture to form a green tire innerliner.

Tire innerliner

Disclosed herein are rubber compositions suitable for use in tire treads comprising (a) at least one conjugated diene polymer or copolymer; (b) at least one filler; (c) a curative package; and (d) at least one of: (i) from 0.2 to 10 phr of at least one halogenated hydrocarbon wax, or (ii) from 0.2 to 10 phr of at least one silicone-containing wax comprising a functionalized polyalkylsiloxane, a functionalized polyalkylsilsesquioxane resin, or combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the at least one halogenated hydrocarbon wax is a chlorinated hydrocarbon or a fluorinated hydrocarbon wax.

Rubber compositions including a functionalized wax

A method for forming a vulcanizable composition of matter, the method comprising providing a polymer cement or latex comprising at least one rubber, adding at least one processing aid to the cement or latex to form a modified rubber cement or latex, isolating the rubber and at least one processing aid to form a premix, and mixing the premix with carbon black.

Method of improving carbon black dispersion in rubber compositions

A method of developing a set of input forces used to analyze tire wear includes the steps of characterizing a wear course by driving a vehicle over the wear course and measuring data related to a plurality of forces experienced by the vehicle. A vehicle characterization model for a target vehicle having at least one tire is developed. The vehicle characterization model is used to calculate force data that represents the forces that would be experienced by at least one tire of the characterized vehicle if the characterized vehicle were driven over the characterized wear test course in the first vehicle configuration. The force data is then used to analyze tire wear using a computer prediction technique or by running an indoor wear test on the tire.

Tire wear analysis method

A polar surfactant, preferably organic, is disclosed to increase dispersion of reinforcing filler aggregates in rubber compositions. The surfactant acts on binders present in the reinforcing filler aggregates so that the surfactant associates with the water soluble binder on carbon black to increase carbon black dispersion. The polar surfactant has an hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value of about 3 to about 35. Rubber products using the composition and methods of making the composition are also disclosed.

Rubber compositions with increased reinforcing filler dispersion

The present invention provides a method of forming a functionalized polymer. The method includes the steps of providing a living lithium polymer and terminating the polymer with an oxazoline compound selected from an organic halide oxazoline and a branched or unbranched vinyl oxazoline compound. The present invention also provides a compounded rubber article wherein carbon black is compounded with a terminated rubber that is the reaction product of a living lithium polymer and such oxazoline compounds.

Preparation of low hysteresis rubber by reacting a lithium polymer with oxazoline compounds

A vulcanized elastomeric composition of matter comprises the reaction product of a sulfur-containing reagent with an anionic living polymer, the reagent being selected from the group consisting of R &mdash;Si&mdash;S&mdash;R&prime;&mdash;X, where R can all be the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of alkyls having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkyls having from 3 to 11 carbon atoms, or an arylene having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, and X is a halogen, to form a R &mdash;Si&mdash;S&mdash;R&prime; ended polymer; a filler; processing oil; and a cure package containing a deprotecting agent and at least one sulfur cure accelerator. A method for making a vulcanized elastomeric composition of matter comprises terminating a living anionic polymer with a sulfur-containing reagent selected from the group consisting of R &mdash;Si&mdash;S&mdash;R&prime;&mdash;X, where R can all be the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of alkyls having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cycloalkyls having from 3 to 11 carbon atoms, or aryls having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, R&prime; is an alkylene having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylene having from 3 to 11 carbon atoms, or an arylene having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, and X is a halogen, to form a R &mdash;Si&mdash;S&mdash;R&prime; polymer having a protected mercapto group; deprotecting the mercapto group prior to or during vulcanization of the composition, and attaching the mercapto group to a polymer backbone of one of the polymers. A method is also provided for reducing hysteresis and the invention provides improved pneumatic tires.

Preparation of low hysteresis rubber by reacting a lithium polymer with a sulfur containing reagent

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Akron, OH, United States of America

James D Ulmer