Article, including tires, having component or rubber composition which contains particles of pre-vulcanized rubber and blend of tetrathiodipropionic and trithiodipropionic acids

Abstract

The invention relates to articles of manufacture, such as for example, tires and industrial products, which have at least one component comprised of a rubber composition which contains particles of pre-sulfur vulcanized rubber (e.g. ground recycled rubber) and impure tetrathiodipropionic acid, namely a blend comprised primarily of tetrathiodipropionic acid and trithiodipropionic acids of a weight ratio thereof in a range of about 80/20 to about 30/70. Said blend is referred to herein as an S4/S3 blend. The S4/S3 blend may be introduced directly to a rubber composition or may be provided as particles of a composite of said S4/S3 and a particulate support therefor for a purpose of aiding the dispersion of the S4 and S3 within the elastomer host. Representative of such support, or carrier, may be, for example, silica, particularly amorphous precipitated silica, carbon black, clay, starch, calcium carbonate, calcium silicate, titanium dioxide and the like, wherein carbon black is preferred. It is considered herein that an advantageous nature of the invention is to provide such an S4/S3 blend, for example, in a manner to somewhat depress the melting point of the trithiodipropionic acid and therefore promote its processability and incorporation with particles of pre-vulcanized rubber without substantially degrading any beneficial effect thereof. Thus, the invention is intended to be exclusive of use of 100 percent pure tetrathiodipropionic acid and exclusive of relatively high purity trithiodipropionic acid which contains at least 80 percent trithiodipropionic acid.