Process for preparing a masterbatch comprising 20-90 wt % of a polymer additive dispersed in 10-80 wt % of a thermoplastic polymer, said process comprising the steps of: —providing the additive in liquid form, —optionally heating the additive, —adding solid particles of the thermoplastic polymer to the liquid additive, —heating the resulting mixture to a temperature in or above the melting temperature of the polymer, —treating the mixture with shaping equipment to form solid particles.

A tire is provided with an external sidewall, said external sidewall comprising at least one elastomeric composition based on: (a) an elastomeric matrix comprising at least one diene elastomer, (b) a crosslinking system, and (c) at least one polymer incompatible with the elastomeric matrix. A process for the preparation of an elastomeric composition for an external sidewall is also disclosed.

According to the process for preparing a vulcanized rubber composition of the invention comprising (a) a step of preparing a master batch comprising a butadiene rubber and silica, (b) a step of preparing a master batch comprising an isoprene rubber and silica, (c) a step of kneading the master batch obtained in (a) and the master batch obtained in (b), and (d) a step of vulcanizing a kneaded product obtained in (c), wherein the obtained vulcanized rubber composition comprises a BR phase and a IR phase, which are incompatible with each other, a predetermined abundance ratio α of silica in the BR phase satisfies 0.3≦α≦0.7 (Relation 1), and a proportion β of the butadiene rubber satisfies 0.4≦β≦0.8 (Relation 2) it is possible to improve performance on ice and abrasion resistance and to provide a vulcanized rubber composition having excellent performance on ice and abrasion resistance, and a studless tire with a tread made using the same.

According to the process for preparing a vulcanized rubber composition of the invention comprising (a) a step of preparing a master batch comprising a butadiene rubber and silica, (b) a step of preparing a master batch comprising an isoprene rubber and silica, (c) a step of kneading the master batch obtained in (a) and the master batch obtained in (b), and (d) a step of vulcanizing a kneaded product obtained in (c), wherein the obtained vulcanized rubber composition has a BR phase and a IR phase which are incompatible with each other and comprises a predetermined amount of a terpene resin, a predetermined abundance ratio α of silica in the BR phase satisfies 0.3≦α≦0.7 (Relation 1), and a proportion β of the butadiene rubber satisfies 0.4≦β≦0.8 (Relation 2) it is possible to improve performance on ice, wet performance and abrasion resistance in good balance and to provide a vulcanized rubber composition having excellent performance on ice, wet performance and abrasion resistance, and a studless tire with a tread made using the same.

An elastomeric body for vibration damping and/or suspension, has a base body and a flame-retarding coating which covers at least one section of the base body, wherein the flame-retarding coating has at least two intumescent fire protection systems and the first fire protection system contains expandable graphite which comprises at least a first fraction with an average grain size of more than 180 μm and at least a second fraction with an average grain size of less than 180 μm, and the second fire protection system forms a support structure in the expanded state, which structure at least partially fixes the expanded graphite in the expanded state.

A vulcanized rubber is formed by a method comprising blending a halogenated unsaturated polymer into a rubber comprised of cis 1-4 polyisoprene to form a vulcanizable polymer blend, adding a vulcanization material to the vulcanizable polymer blend, and vulcanizing the vulcanizable polymer blend to form a homogeneous vulcanized rubber. The method may be used to form a vulcanized rubber comprised of polyisoprene uniformly crosslinked with a halogenated unsaturated polymer that is a reaction product of (i) an unsaturated polymer miscible with polyisoprene and having conjugated dienes that undergo a Diels Alder reaction and (ii) a polyhalogenated cyclopentadiene.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel sulfur-based positive electrode active material for a lithium-ion secondary battery which is excellent in cyclability and can largely improve a charging and discharging capacity, a positive electrode comprising the positive electrode active material and a lithium-ion secondary battery made using the positive electrode. The sulfur-based positive electrode active material is obtainable by subjecting a starting material comprising a polymer, sulfur and an organometallic compound dispersed in a form of fine particles to heat-treatment under a non-oxidizing atmosphere, wherein the particles of metallic sulfide resulting from sulfurization of the organometallic compound are dispersed in the heat-treated material, and particle size of the metallic sulfide particles is not less than 10 nm and less than 100 nm.

Provided are reinforcing fibers using an adhesive component not containing resorcinol and formaldehyde, which are excellent in adhesiveness to rubber and which can be efficiently produced while preventing contamination of production facilities, and a method for producing them, as well as a molded article using them. The reinforcing fibers have an adhesive component that contains a conjugated diene rubber and an oil, in at least a part of the surfaces thereof, wherein the vapor pressure at 20° C. of the oil is 10 Pa or less.

According to the process for preparing a vulcanized rubber composition of the invention comprising (a) a step of preparing a master batch comprising a modified conjugated diene polymer and silica, (b) a step of preparing a master batch comprising an isoprene rubber and silica, (c) a step of kneading the master batch obtained in (a) and the master batch obtained in (b), and (d) a step of vulcanizing a kneaded product obtained in (c), wherein the obtained vulcanized rubber composition comprises a phase A comprising a modified conjugated diene polymer and a phase B comprising an isoprene rubber, which are incompatible with each other, an abundance ratio α of silica in the phase A satisfies 0.5≦α≦0.9 (Relation 1), and a proportion β of the modified conjugated diene polymer satisfies 0.4≦β≦0.8 (Relation 2) it is possible to improve performance on ice and abrasion resistance and to provide a vulcanized rubber composition having excellent performance on ice and abrasion resistance, and a studless tire with a tread made using the same.

A thermally expandable preparation pumpable at application temperatures in the range of 50 to 120° C., is provided containing: at least one polymer selected from binary copolymers containing at least one monomer unit selected from vinyl acetate, (meth)acrylic acids, styrene and derivatives thereof, and terpolymers based on at least one first monomer selected from the monounsaturated or polyunsaturated hydrocarbons, and at least one second monomer selected from (meth)acrylic acids and derivatives thereof, and at least one third monomer selected from epoxy-functionalized (meth)acrylates, as well as combinations of the first two; at least one liquid polymer selected from liquid hydrocarbon resins, liquid polyolefins and liquid polymers based on one or more diene monomers; at least one peroxide; at least one thermally activatable blowing agent; and at least one adhesion promoter; as well as methods to stiffen/reinforce or seal structural components by application of the preparation.