Patent ID: 6251992
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: B60C,C08L

Abstract:
A rubber composition comprised of, based upon 100 parts by weight of its rubber component (phr), (A) 100 parts by weight (phr) of at least one diene-based elastomer comprised of (i) about 55 to about 100 phr of cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber and (ii) from zero to 45 phr of at least one other diene-based rubber selected from homopolymers and copolymers of conjugated diene and copolymers of at least one conjugated diene with a vinyl aromatic compound selected from styrene and alpha-methylstyrene, preferably styrene, (B) about one to about 50 phr of a liquid hydroxyl terminated polyalkylene polymer; wherein the alkylene mer unit for said polyalkylene is selected from at least one alkylene hydrocarbon containing from 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and where said polyalkylene polymer is (i) mono-hydroxyl terminated with a primary hydroxyl group or (ii) di-hydroxyl terminated with primary hydroxyl groups, (C) about 20 to about 100 phr of particulate reinforcing filler is (1) carbon black or (2) carbon black and silica-based reinforcement; wherein said silica-based reinforcement is selected from at least one of amorphous silica, aluminosilicate and carbon black which contains silicon on its surface; wherein said silica-based reinforcement contains hydroxyl groups on its surface, together with a coupling agent for said silica-based reinforcement; wherein said coupling agent contains a moiety which is reactive with hydroxyl groups on the surface of said silica-based reinforcement and with hydroxyl groups of said hydroxyl terminated polyalkylene polymer groups and another moiety interactive with said elastomer(s).