The present invention relates to a thermally curable composition comprising: (a1) a solid rubber in an amount of 2.5% by mass or more, (a2) an olefinic double bond-containing polymer which is liquid or pasty at 22 C. in an amount of less than 5% by mass, (a3) a hydrocarbon resin in an amount of, in total with said component (a2), 5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, and (a4) a liquid polydiene in an amount of 15% by mass or more based on the total mass of the composition as a component (a); and at least one selected from the group consisting of the following (b1) to (b3): (b1) sulfur and one or more accelerator(s), (b2) peroxidic vulcanization system or disulfidic vulcanization system, and (b3) quinones, quinone dioximes or dinitrosobenzene, as a vulcanization system (b).

A process for retreading a tire, the process comprising the steps of providing a tire casing, providing a cured rubber component having first and second planar surfaces, providing a cushion gum, wherein the cushion gum contains a cure system comprising at least one stable aryl dinitrile oxide compound, applying the cushion gum to the tire casing, and forming a tire composite by applying the second planar surface of the cured rubber component to the cushion gum.

A medical rubber composition can contain, comprise, consist, or consist essentially of: (a) an isobutylene-isoprene rubber: (b) a diene-based rubber; and a silica having a BET specific surface area not lower than 130 m.sup.2/g. An amount of (a) the isobutylene-isoprene rubber contained in 100 parts by mass of a rubber component composed of (a) the isobutylene-isoprene rubber and (b) the diene-based rubber can be larger than 30 parts by mass and smaller than 55 parts by mass.

Disclosed is a method for producing a rubber composition for tires, including: the step (step (i)) of treating a surface of a carbon black with a compound represented by general formula (I):

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wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl group, alkenyl group or alkynyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same as or different from each other; and M.sup.+ represents a sodium, potassium or lithium ion to yield a surface-treated carbon black; and the step (step (ii)) of kneading the resultant surface-treated carbon black, and a rubber. This method for producing a rubber composition for tires allows to yield a tire (vulcanized rubber) low in exothermicity, and give a rubber composition for tires that can be restrained from being lowered in scorch property.

Provided is a heat conductive foam sheet for electronic equipment sufficiently thin and flexible to be suitably used in the interior of electronic equipment and excellent in heat conductivity. A heat conductive foam sheet for electronic equipment containing a heat conductor in an elastomer resin portion constituting the foam sheet, in which the content of the heat conductor relative to 100 parts by mass of the elastomer resin is 100 to 500 parts by mass, the 25% compressive strength of the foam sheet is 200 kPa or less and the thickness thereof is 0.05 to 1 mm.

The invention provides a golf ball having a core and a cover of one or more layer encasing the core, wherein the core has a center core and a foamed outer layer that directly, or indirectly through another layer, envelops the center core. The foamed outer layer is made of a rubber composition that includes a base rubber, a co-crosslinking agent and an organic peroxide. The foamed outer layer has an inside portion facing the ball center and an outside portion facing the outside of the ball that are unfoamed regions, and contains a foamed region in an intermediate portion therebetween. A method of manufacturing such a golf ball is also provided.

A rubber composition for a hollow ball includes a base rubber, an inorganic filler composed of a large number of flat particles, and a carbon-based filler. As to the carbon-based filler, a degree of flatness DLc obtained by dividing an average particle diameter D.sub.50.sup.c (m) by an average thickness Tc (m) is not less than 50. A weight ratio Mc/Mi is not less than 0.01 and not greater than 1.00. The rubber composition is obtained by a production method including: a first step of mixing the base rubber and the carbon-based filler to obtain a master batch; and a second step of adding the large number of flat particles that form the inorganic filler, to the master batch to orient the large number of flat particles. The hollow ball 2 includes a core 4 formed from the rubber composition.

Provided herein is a composite material that includes at least one thermoresponsive polymer and at least one organic foam material. Further provided herein is a method for producing the composite material and also to the use of the composite material for cooling and for regulating temperature.

A polymeric composition includes a diene elastomer; an azodicarboxy compound; and a reinforcing filler comprising silica. The composition is not foamed. A method for preparing a polymeric composition includes mixing in one or more steps: a diene elastomer; an azodicarboxy compound; and a reinforcing filler. The mixing temperature is less than 160 C. in mixing steps in which the azodicarboxy compound is present. In an embodiment, the mixing temperature is kept below the decomposition temperature of the azodicarboxy compound.

Expanded rubber articles and processes for making such, comprising: partially curing an expandable rubber formulation by heating it in a first mould cavity to form a moulded blank; releasing the moulded blank from the first mould cavity and allowing the moulded blank to expand to form an expanded moulded blank; and further curing and expanding the expanded moulded blank by heating it to form the expanded rubber article comprising an expanded rubber part, wherein the expanded moulded blank is heated in a second mould cavity. Optionally, the expanded moulded blank is contacted with a further rubber formulation and a substrate comprising a base material and an elastomer bonding layer in the second mould cavity to form an expanded rubber article additionally comprising a solid rubber part and a substrate.