Patent ID: 8642691

Claim:
A vulcanizable rubber composition comprising steel embedded therein, the composition also comprising an amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxane (AMS) that comprises one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of an amino-AMS, an amino/mercaptan co-AMS, an amino/blocked mercaptan co-AMS, and mixtures thereof, and having the formula wherein w, x, y and z represent mole fractions, z does not equal zero, at least one of w, x or y must also be present, and w+x+y+z=1.00; wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 must be present and selected from the group consisting of R 6 Z, wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of NH 2 , HNR 7 and NR 7 2 ; and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 or R 4 are the same or different and selected from the group consisting of (i) H or an alkyl groups having one to about 20 carbon atoms, (ii) cycloalkyl groups having 3 to about 20 carbon atoms, (iii) alkylaryl groups having 7 to about 20 carbon atoms, (iv) R 6 X, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, SH, S a R 7 , NR 7 2 , OR 7 , CO 2 H, SCOR 7 , CO 2 R 7 , OH, olefins, epoxides, amino groups, vinyl groups, acrylates and methacrylates, wherein a=1 to about 8, and (v) R 6 YR 8 X, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of O, S, NH and NR 7 ; wherein R 6 and R 8 are selected from the group consisting of alkylene groups having one to about 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkylene groups having 3 to about 20 carbon atoms, and a single bond; and R 5 and R 7 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups having one to about 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups having 3 to about 20 carbon atoms, and alkylaryl groups having 7 to about 20 carbon atoms; wherein the amino AMS liberates about 0.05% to about 10% by weight alcohol when treated by substantially total acid hydrolysis; wherein the rubber composition is free of an effective amount to promote adhesion to steel of adhesion promoting metallic salts.