Patent ID: 6525118
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B60C,C08K

Abstract:
A sulfur vulcanizable elastomeric compound having a reduced viscosity prior to vulcanization, comprising:100 parts by weight of an elastomer optionally comprising a terminal alkoxysilane functional group and selected from the group consisting of homopolymers derived from conjugated diene monomers and copolymers comprising monomer units derived from a conjugated diene monomer and a monomer unit selected from the group consisting of monovinyl aromatic monomers and triene monomers; about 5 to about 100 parts by weight of a reinforcing filler per 100 parts of elastomer, wherein the reinforcing filler is selected from the group consisting of silica filler and mixtures thereof with carbon black; zero to about 20 percent by weight of a silane, based upon the weight of said silica filler; sulfur; a processing aid selected from the group consisting of (i) about one to about 20 parts by weight of a fatty acid ester of a hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated C5 or C6 sugar, (ii) about one to about 20 parts by weight of a polyoxyethylene derivative of a fatty acid ester of a hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated C5 or C6 sugar, and (iii) mixtures of selections from (i) and (ii); and about one to about 40 parts by weight of an additional filler selected from the group consisting of mica, urea, sodium sulfate, and mixtures thereof, wherein the presence of both the processing aid and the additional filler reduces the viscosity of the compound prior to vulcanization compared to a compound comprising the processing aid alone.