Patent ID: 8637600

Claim:
A process for providing a composition, said process comprising: (a) blending in one or more stages involving varied temperature profiles (1) a polymer comprising ethylenic unsaturation and pendent or terminal functionality that comprises an aryl group comprising at least two OR substituents, wherein R is H or a hydrolyzable group, (2) filler particles that comprise oxides of silicon, and (3) from about 1.5 to about 3 phr of a compound that comprises at least one aromatic ring with more than one hydroxyl group, said compound having a melting point of from about 40° to about 165° C., and (b) adding a vulcanizing agent to the product of step (a) and performing additional mixing at a temperature lower than that employed in step (a), thereby providing said composition, said composition having a compound Mooney viscosity at 130° C. that is less than that of an identical composition in which said compound is not present.