Patent ID: 7906602

Claim:
A method of making a tire tread-cap composition, based upon parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of rubber (“phr”), the method comprising the steps of: mixing, at a temperature in a range of from 135° C. to 180° C., ingredients including: 100 parts by weight of at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer; from 30 phr to 130 phr of at least one reinforcing filler; from 2 phr to 55 phr of at least one oil softener selected from the group consisting of a mineral oil having a PCA content of less than 3% by weight, a vegetable oil, and combinations thereof; and from 4 phr to 20 phr of at least one silane coupling agent, thereby forming a first mixture; subsequently adding from 2 phr to 50 phr of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to the first mixture and mixing, at a temperature of less than 135° C., the first mixture, and the UHMWPE, thereby forming a tire tread-cap composition.