Patent ID: 7393564

Claim:
A method of providing a composite comprising steel reinforcement adhered to rubber, comprising: a) providing a blended composition from ingredients that comprise (1) at least one rubber, (2) a filler component comprising carbon black particles and, optionally, silica particles, wherein the ratio of said carbon black particles to said silica particles is at least 4:1, (3) a sulfur curing agent, and (4) a silane component comprising at least one of an aminosilane and a mercaptosilane; b) forming a layer of rubber stock from said blended composition; and c) incorporating steel reinforcement into said rubber stock to provide a reinforced composite, said steel reinforcement having at least some of its surface area being untreated, wherein said silane component acts to bond said at least one rubber to said steel reinforcement in at least the untreated surface area.