Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Takatsugu Hashimoto

Jung W Kang

Arthur E Oberster

David M Roggeman

Gary B Seaver

Yoshinori Egashira

Takeshi Kinoshita

Shinsuke Nakane

Bonnie L Stuck

Dwayne A Joyner

Kazuaki Yuto

Kazuhiko Kanou

A rubber composition is a mixture of 100 parts by weight of at least one rubber component selected from the group consisting of a natural rubber and a synthetic rubber and 1 to 120 parts by weight of a softening agent containing 0.1 to 4% by weight of asphaltene. The rubber composition simultaneously has a high high-loss property, a high fracture property and a good workability.

Rubber composition containing an asphaltene-containing softening agent

Rubber composition for tire tread

A continuous process is described for preparing copolymer compositions of 1,3-conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 100,000, and in one embodiment above about 900,000. The process comprises: (A) continuously introducing into a reactor, a 1,3-conjugated diene, an aromatic vinyl compound, a hydrocarbon solvent and a polymerization catalyst comprising a trimetalated 1-alkyne wherein the catalyst is obtained by reacting at a temperature of above about 70.degree. C., a 1-alkyne containing at least 4 carbon atoms, an organo metallic compound, R.degree. M and a 1,3-conjugated diene wherein the alkyne is characterized by the formula

Copolymers of conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds prepared by

Elastomer compositions comprising (A) ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions of 1,3-conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 1,000,000 and (B) oil are described. The ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions which are also characterized as having an intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran of at least about 4.0 may be obtained by a process which comprises polymerizing a 1,3-conjugated diene and a vinyl aromatic compound in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of a trimetalated 1-alkyne catalyst which comprises the reaction product of a 1-alkyne containing at least 4 carbon atoms, an organo metallic compound R.degree.M and a 1,3-conjugated diene wherein R.degree. is a hydrocarbyl group, M is an alkali metal, the mole ratio of R.degree.M to 1-alkyne is about 3:1 and the mole ratio of conjugated diene to 1-alkyne is from about 2:1 to about 30:1. The oil extended elastomer compositions of the present invention preferably contain large amounts of oil such as 80 parts or higher per 100 parts of copolymer.

Oil extended ultra high molecular weight elastomers

High-performance tires comprising treads made of elastomer compositions comprising (A) ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions of 1,3-conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 1,000,000; (B) extender oil; and (C) carbon black are described. The ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions which are also characterized as having an intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran of at least about 4.0 may be obtained by a process which comprises polymerizing a 1,3-conjugated diene and a vinyl aromatic compound in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of a trimetalated 1-alkyne catalyst which comprises the reaction product of a 1-alkyne containing at least 4 carbon atoms, an organo metallic compound R.sup.o M and a 1,3-conjugated diene wherein R.sup.o is a hydrocarbyl group, M is an alkali metal, the mole ratio of R.sup.o M to 1-alkyne is about 3:1 and the mole ratio of conjugated diene to 1-alkyne is from about 2:1 to about 30:1.

High performance tire treads and tires

Elastomer compositions comprising (A) ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions of 1,3-conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 1,000,000 and (B) oil are described. The ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions which are also characterized as having an intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran of at least about 4.0 may be obtained by a process which comprises polymerizing a 1,3-conjugated diene and a vinyl aromatic compound in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of a trimetalated 1-alkyne catalyst which comprises the reaction product of a 1-alkyne containing at least 4 carbon atoms, an organo metallic compound R.sup.o M and a 1,3-conjugated diene wherein R.sup.o is a hydrocarby group, M is an alkali metal, the mole ratio of R.sup.o M to 1-alkyne is about 3:1 and th mole ratio of conjugated diene to 1-alkyne is from about 2:1 to about 30:1. The oil extended elastomer compositions of the present invention preferably contain large amounts of oil such as 80 parts or higher per 100 parts of copolymer.

A continuous process is described for preparing copolymer compositions of 1,3-conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 100,000, and in one embodiment above about 900,000. The process comprises:

Continuous process for preparing copolymers of conjugated dienes and

A reinforcing agent for vulcanizable rubber compounds comprises an anhydrous metal salt of an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having a crystalline structure consisting essentially of plates and fibers. Vulcanizable rubber compounds containing such reinforcing agents have improved physical properties over rubber compounds containing conventional metal carboxylic acid salts. Methods for the preparation of such anhydrous metal salts and methods for the reinforcement of vulcanizable rubber compounds therewith are also provided.

Anhydrous metal salts of .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated

An ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions of 1,3-conjugated dienes and aromatic vinyl compounds having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 1,000,000 are described. The ultra high molecular weight copolymer compositions which are also characterized as having an intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran of at least about 4.0 may be obtained by a process which comprises polymerizing a 1,3-conjugated diene and a vinyl aromatic compound in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of a trimetalated 1-alkyne catalyst which comprises the reaction product of a 1-alkyne containing at least 4 carbon atoms, an organo metallic compound R.degree.M and 1,3-conjugated diene wherein R.degree. is a hydrocarbyl group, M is an alkali metal, the mole ratio of R.degree.M to 1-alkyne is about 3:1 and the mole ratio of conjugated diene to 1-alkyne is from about 2:1 to about 30:1.

Method for preparing ultra high molecular weight copolymers of

Solid golf balls comprise a vulcanizable rubber and a reinforcing filler comprising an essentially anhydrous metal salt of an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid. Golf balls containing such reinforcing fillers have improved physical properties over rubber compounds containing conventional metal carboxylic acid salts. Additionally, the rubber compounds have improved processability and shorter curing time.

Solid golf balls reinforced with anhydrous metal salts of

A reinforcing agent for vulcanizable rubber compounds comprises an anhydrous metal salt of an .alpha.-.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having a crystalline structure consisting essentially of plates and fibers. Vulcanizable rubber compounds containing such reinforcing agents have improved physical properties over rubber compounds containing conventional metal carboxylic acid salts. Methods for the preparation of such anhydrous metal salts and methods for the reinforcement of vulcanizable rubber compounds therewith are also provided.

Anhydrous metal salts of .alpha.-.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated

A method for incorporating metal salts of .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids into polymers and improving the cured physical properties of vulcanizable rubber compositions based on such polymers. The method includes the steps of preparing a polymer cement in a suitable organic solvent, forming a suspension of the metal salt of an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid in a suitable aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent miscible with the organic solvent, mixing the polymer cement and the suspension together and thereafter removing the solvents to provide the metal salt uniformly dispersed within the polymer.

Method for incorporating metal salts of .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically

Solid golf balls are produced by the method comprising the steps of preparing a polymer cement in a suitable organic solvent, forming a suspension of the metal salt of an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid in a suitable aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent miscible with the organic solvent, mixing the polymer cement and the suspension together, removing the solvents to provide the metal salt uniformly dispersed within the polymer, and thereafter manufacturing a solid golf ball therefrom. Solid golf balls comprise a vulcanizable rubber and from about 5 to 100 parts by weight of a reinforcing filler comprising a metal salt of an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, per 100 parts of the vulcanizable rubber. When the metal salts are incorporated via solution masterbatching, the resulting golf balls have improved physical properties.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Takatsugu Hashimoto