Bridgestone Corporation

Zhong-Ren Chen

Steven Luo

Mark W Smale

William L Hergenrother

William M Cole

Christine M Rademacher

Kevin Michael McCauley

Walter Tomaszewski

Michael W Hayes

Terrence Eugene Hogan

Yuan-Yong Yan

Zengquan Qin

James Herman Pawlow

Hiroshi Mouri

Ashley S Hilton

Mindaugas Rackaitis

Yuichi Nagai

Georg G A Böhm

Tomohiro Kusano

Timothy Leonard Tartamella

Edward D Kelley

Joseph Lanzarotta

Sandra M Warren

Sanjeev D Naik

Sunji Araki

Kevin Mccauley

Kevin M Mccauley

A method includes: mixing a polymer cement and a filler to form a solution masterbatch; optionally drying the solution masterbatch to form a crumb polymer composition; mixing a low viscosity polymeric or oligomeric liquid into the solution masterbatch or crumb polymer composition; and intermeshing mixing the solution masterbatch or crumb polymer composition.

Intermeshing mixing of filler and polymer solution masterbatch

A vulcanizable composition of matter comprising a rubber component, a filler, a curative for the rubber, where the rubber component includes a multi-modal polymer including at least two distinct peak molecular weights within a range defined by a lower limit of 80 kg/mole and an upper limit of 500 kg/mole.

Rubber compositions including a polymeric component having a multi-modal molecular weight distribution

Amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes (amino AMS), and/or amino co-AMS compounds that also comprise a mercaptosilane or a blocked mercaptosilane, are excellent adhesives for coating plated or unplated metal wire for adherence of the wire to a rubber stock. The amino AMS and/or the amino/mercaptan co-AMS adhesives can be used with all types of rubber and there is no requirement for the use of special adhesive additives to the rubber vulcanizates, such as, but not limited to, cobalt, resins and high sulfur levels. In particular, the use of amino AMS and/or amino/mercaptan co-AMS compounds as adhesives for bonding wire to rubber also improves the adherence performance of the reinforcements to obtain sufficient bonding that is resistant to degradation over the course of time, especially resistance to thermal aging and/or thermo-oxidizing aging, in particular corrosion in the presence of water. Vulcanized rubber compositions that contain an amino AMS and/or amino/mercaptan co-AMS compound also have improved adhesion to embedded uncoated steel after humidity aging compared with vulcanized rubber compositions not containing the amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxane.

Amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxane adhesives for improved metal adhesion and metal adhesion retention to cured rubber

A method includes: (a) mixing in a first step a first polymer and a filler, (b) mixing in a second step a second polymer and a polyhydroxy compound, and (c) mixing in a third mixing step the mixtures resulting from steps (a) and (b) and optionally additional filler, wherein said first polymer and second polymer may be the same polymer or different polymers, and wherein steps (a) and (b) can occur simultaneously or consecutively.

Rubber composition having improved crack resistance

Disclosed is a method comprising: (a) mixing in a first mixing step ingredients comprising (i) first polymer, (ii) a low molecular weight polymer having a number average molecular weight of about 5,000 to about 100,000, and (iii) a filler, and (b) mixing in a second mixing step ingredients comprising (i) the mixture obtained in step (a), (ii) a second polymer that is different from said first polymer, and (iii) optionally a filler. In one embodiment, the method further comprises mixing sulfur and vulcanization accelerator(s) into the composition, forming the rubber composition into a sidewall for a tire, and vulcanizing the rubber composition.

Method for mixing a rubber composition

Provided is a composition comprising at least one polymer having a degree of unsaturation of no more than about 50 mol %; a filler selected from the group consisting of carbon black, silica, and mixtures thereof; and a polymeric additive comprising a functional end group reactive with said filler, wherein said polymeric additive has a degree of unsaturation of no more than about 50 mol % and a number average molecular weight between about 1,000 and about 25,000. The composition may optionally contain one or more polymers having a degree of unsaturation of more than 50 mol %. The composition may be particularly useful as a component for a tire.

Method of improving affinity between filler and polymers having a low degree of unsaturation

Blends of syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene and rubbery elastomers are prepared by a process that comprises polymerizing 1,3-butadiene monomer into syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene within a rubber cement of an elastomeric terpolymer by using a chromium-based, molybdenum-based, or iron-based catalyst composition. Polymer composition comprising the blend with improved properties is also provided.

Process for producing blends of syndiotactic, 1,2-polybutadiene and rubbery elastomers

A method for quenching an active polymerization mixture, the method comprising introducing a polyhydroxy compound to an active polymerization mixture.

Polyhydroxy compounds as polymerization quenching agents

Methods are provided for making solution masterbatches containing a diene elastomer in an organic solvent and a silica filler, having a first average particle size, that is ground in an organic solvent to form a silica having a reduced second average particle size. Grinding of the silica in the organic solvent, with or without other ingredients including the elastomer, produces a solution masterbatch in which the silica is mixed with and well dispersed in the elastomer. The use of such desolventized solution masterbatches in vulcanizable rubber compounds results in excellent processing characteristics allowing for the reduced use of processing aids such as oil. The compound also demonstrates improved properties, including reduced hysteresis.

Solution masterbatch process using finely ground fillers for low hysteresis rubber

Methods are provided for making a solution masterbatch containing a diene elastomer in an organic solvent and a reinforcing silica filler dispersed therein, comprising the steps of (a) mixing a precipitated silica having an average particle size substantially equivalent to an average particle size of a powdered silica, with a diene elastomer in a first organic solvent; and (b) desolventizing the mixture to form a solution masterbatch preparation. The use of such desolventized solution masterbatches in vulcanizable rubber compounds results in excellent processing characteristics with improved dispersion of fillers, including polymeric nanoparticles. The compounds also demonstrate improved properties, including reduced hysteresis.

Solution masterbatch process using fine particle silica for low hysteresis rubber

A composition suitable for forming a sidewall for a tire includes a rubber composition which includes at least one rubber, an ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymer, and a polyalkylene copolymer. The rubber may include one or more natural or synthetic rubbers, such as butadiene rubbers and isoprene rubbers. The ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymer preferably has an ethylene content of at least 60%. The polyalkylene copolymer may be a copolymer of a polyalkylene and an &#x3b1;-olefin, which is formed in a polymerization reaction involving a single site catalyst. The polyalkylene copolymer preferably has a high degree of crystallinity, being preferably at least about 90% by weight ethylene, with a melting point in the range of 80&#xb0; C.&#x2013;120&#xb0; C. The presence of such a copolymer in the rubber composition markedly increases the resistance to crack growth and formation of cracks in the tire sidewall.

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Stow, OH, United States of America

Zhong-Ren Chen