Patent ID: 7714041

Claim:
A method of increasing the plasticity of a tread-cap composition, comprising the steps of: mixing, at a temperature in a range of from about 135° C. to about 180° C., ingredients including: 100 parts by weight of at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer; at least one reinforcing filler selected from the group consisting of silica and combinations of silica and carbon black; at least one mineral oil softener having a PCA content of less than about 3% by weight; from about 4 phr to about 20 phr of at least one silane coupling agent, thereby forming a first mixture; subsequently mixing and cooling, to a temperature of from about 23° C. to about 120° C., ingredients, other than a curative, including: the first mixture; and from about 0.1 phr to about 5 phr of an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (“UHMWPE”), thereby forming a tire tread-cap composition.