Patent ID: 7423089

Claim:
A tire having an outer visible sidewall layer of a sulfur cured rubber composition comprised of a parallel phase mixed rubber composition; wherein said parallel phased mixed rubber composition is prepared by a process which comprises: (A) forming a first rubber composition by blending EPDM rubber, particulate rubber reinforcing filler and sulfur curative comprised of elemental sulfur; (B) forming a second rubber composition comprised of at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer which a cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber, followed by (C) blending said first rubber composition with said second rubber composition; wherein said EPDM rubber is provided as a combination of: (1) a first EPDM rubber as an ethylene/propylene/non-conjugated diene terpolymer having an ethylene/propylene ratio in a range of from about 35/65 up to 65/35, and having an ethylene content of from 35 up to 65 weight percent, and a non-conjugated diene content in a range of about 4 to about 12 weight percent, and (2) a second EPDM elastomer as an ethylene/propylene/non-conjugated diene terpolymer having an ethylene/propylene ratio in a range of from at least 65/35 to about 85/15, and having an ethylene content in a range of from greater than 65 and up to about 85 weight percent, and a non-conjugated diene content in a range of about 2 to about 8 weight percent; wherein said particulate reinforcing filler is comprised of at least one of rubber reinforcing carbon black, precipitated silica and exfoliated clay platelets; wherein the weight ratio of said first EPDM to said second EPDM is in a range of from about 10/90 to about 90/10, and, wherein said non-conjugated diene for said EPDM is selected from ethylidene norbornene, dicyclopentadiene and trans 1,4-hexadiene.