Patent ID: 6555606
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: B60C,C08J

Abstract:
A process of preparing a rubber composition comprised of at least one elastomer and a particulate, elastomer-reinforcing, filler, wherein said process comprises:(A) blending a solution of at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer in an organic solvent with: (1) at least one of elastomer-reinforcing filler as dispersion thereof in an organic solvent, wherein said filler is selected from at least one of the group consisting of carbon black and pre-treated amorphous silica, and (2) at least one additional rubber compounding ingredient in a solution of said ingredient in an organic solvent, and (B) recovering said elastomer, filler and additional ingredient as an elastomer composite thereof by removing said solvent(s); wherein said additional ingredient is comprised of at least one of zinc oxide, stearic acid, sulfur, a vulcanization accelerator selected from dibenzothiazyl disulfide, 2-mercaptobenaothiazole, N-oxydiethylene benzothiazole-2-sulfenamide, 4-morpholinyl-2-benzothiazole disulfide, tetramethylthiuram disulfide, tetramethylthiuram monosulfide, tetrabutylthiuram disulfide, zinc dibutyldithiocarbamate, thiocarbqamuyl sulfenamide, N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide, N-t-butyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide and diphenylguanidine; and a vulcanization retarder selected from N-nitrosodiphenylamine, N-cyclohexyl thiophthalimide, magnesium oxide, N-(cyclohexylthio)-phthalimide, and wherein said pre-treated amorphous silica is prepared prior to blending with said solution of elastomer(s), by reacting an amorphous silica with an organosilane of the general formula (I): (OR)3â€”Siâ€”Râ€²â€”Snâ€”Râ€²â€”Siâ€”(OR)3â€ƒâ€ƒ(I) â€ƒwherein R is the same or different alkyl radical selected from at least one of ethyl and methyl radicals; Râ€² is the same or different radical selected from at least one of ethyl, propyl and butyl radicals; and n is a value from 2 to 6 with an average of from 2 to 2.6 or from 3.5 to 4.