Patent ID: 8097674
Filing Date: 2012-01-17
Classification: C08G,C08K,C09D,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A vulcanizable rubber composition having improved dynamic viscoelastic and tensile mechanical properties, comprising: (a) an elastomer; (b) a reinforcing filler selected from silica, carbon black, and mixtures thereof; (c) about 0.1 phr to about 20 phr of an alkyl alkoxy-modified silsesquioxane (alkyl AMS); and (d) a cure agent, wherein the improvement comprises adding to the composition about 0.1 phr to about 20 phr of a weak acid-neutralized solid or weak acid-neutralized aqueous solution of an amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxane (amino AMS) comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of an amino AMS, an amino/mercaptan co-AMS, an amino/blocked mercaptan co-AMS, and mixtures thereof, and having the formula wherein w, x, y and z represent mole fractions, z does not equal zero, at least one of w, x or y must also be present, and w+x+y+z=1.00; wherein at least one of R wherein the amino AMS consists essentially of amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes, each having an open structure with a reactive alkoxysilyl group, and essentially free of closed caged polyhedral organosilsesquioxanes, wherein the mixture of amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes liberates about 0.05% to about 10% by weight alcohol when treated by substantially total acid hydrolysis; and wherein the dynamic viscoelastic and mechanical properties of the rubber composition containing both the alkyl AMS and the weak acid-neutralized solid or solution of the amino AMS are improved over a similar rubber composition comprising the alkyl AMS and not comprising a weak acid-neutralized solid or solution of the amino AMS.