The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 04, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 12, 1999
Olivier Louis, Arlon, BE;
Adel Farhan Halasa, Bath, OH (US);
Wen-Liang Hsu, Cuyahoga Falls, OH (US);
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, OH (US);
Abstract
It has been unexpectedly determined that isoprene-butadiene rubber having a high glass transition temperature within the range of about −40° C. to about −25° C. (high Tg IBR) can be loaded with silica as a filler and utilized in manufacturing tire treads that have outstanding performance characteristics. For instance, such tire treads offer lower hysteresis at high temperatures (improved rolling resistance) and higher hysteresis at low temperatures (improved wet traction characteristics). By utilizing high Tg IBR in tire tread compounds, the maximum benefits of silica compounding can be realized without the need for solution or emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) in the tread rubber formulations. The tire tread rubber formulations of this invention will normally contain about 20 phr (parts per 100 parts of rubber) to about 100 phr of the high Tg IBR. In other words, the tread rubber will normally contain at least 20 phr of the high Tg IBR and can contain up to 100 phr of the high Tg IBR. The tread compound will also contain 40 phr to 150 phr of a filler with the proviso that at least about 20 phr of silica is included in the filler. The tire tread compound will also contain a silica coupling agent. This invention more specifically discloses a tire tread rubber composition which is comprised of (1) at least about 20 phr of an isoprene-butadiene rubber having a glass transition temperature which is within the range of about −40° C. to −25° C., (2) 40 phr to 150 phr of a filler, with the proviso that the filler contains at least about 20 phr of silica, and (3) a silica coupling agent.