Provided in the present invention is a rubber composition for tires which is improved in a dispersibility of silica in a rubber blended with a large amount of silica having so far made it difficult to be kneaded with the rubber and which makes it possible to carry out simultaneously using silica having a large particle diameter and blending a large amount of silica. Used in the present invention is a rubber composition for tires comprising a natural rubber and/or diene base rubber component, a glycerin fatty acid ester composition containing glycerin fatty acid monoester, and silica, wherein a BET specific surface area of the silica is 100 m.sup.2/g or more and 130 m.sup.2/g or less, and the rubber composition for tires contains 80 parts by mass or more of the silica based on 100 parts by mass of the rubber component. A tire produced by using the above rubber composition for tires has made it possible to allow a WET performance and a gripping performance to be consistent with an abrasion resistance and has made it possible as well to secure a processability in production by a reduction in a viscosity.

A process for manufacturing a self-sealing elastomer composition, said process comprising the following steps: a masterbatch, comprising at least one diene elastomer and more than 30 phr of a hydrocarbon resin, is firstly manufactured by compounding these various components in a mixer at a temperature or up to a temperature called the hot compounding temperature which is above the softening point of the hydrocarbon resin; and then at least one crosslinking system is incorporated into the masterbatch thus prepared, by compounding everything in the same mixer or in a different mixer, at a temperature or up to a temperature which is kept below 100 C., in order to obtain said self-sealing composition.

A rubber composition comprises a rubber component that comprises at least one halobutyl rubber in an amount from 60 to 100 phr and a filler component that comprises fillers F1 having .sup.14C content of 0.20 to 0.45 Bq/g of carbon; carbon content of 60 wt. % to 85 wt. %; acidic hydroxy groups on their surface; wherein weighted arithmetic average of STSA of F1 is from 40 m.sup.2/g to 80 m.sup.2/g; F1 have a volume-based median particle size distribution from 0.5 m to 5 m and a volume-based value from 3 m to 23 m; and (i) the filler component comprises more than 45 phr of F1; or (ii) the filler component comprises more than 25 phr of F1 and additionally comprises one or more industrial carbon blacks F2, wherein weighted arithmetic average of STSA of the F2 is 55 m.sup.2/g to 95 m.sup.2/g.

A method of forming a vulcanizable rubber composition includes a sequence of non-productive mixing steps. In a first of the non-productive mixing steps, a composite blend is mixed with a first elastomer to generate a first mixture. The composite blend includes a second elastomer, which may be the same as, or different from, the first elastomer, and carbon black. In a second of the non-productive mixing steps, a third elastomer, different from the first elastomer, is mixed with the first mixture, or with a mixture generated from the first mixture, to generate a second mixture. In a productive mixing step, a curing agent is mixed with the second mixture, or with a mixture generated from the second mixture, to generate the vulcanizable rubber composition, which includes the first, second, and third elastomers, carbon black from the composite blend, and an additional amount of a reinforcing filler.

A method of functionalising an elastomeric material, such as a rubber particle, is provided. The method comprises the functionalisation of an elastomeric material through the use of an ionic liquid based composition, which comprises a water soluble polymer, a cationic silicate component, and a salt of a vulcanization accelerator, together with a zinc compound, sulphur, and an accelerator. Rubber particles, for example particles from recycled rubber products, functionalised according to the method disclosed can successfully be utilised in virgin rubber masterbatches at concentrations not previously possible.

The invention relates to a rubber composition based on at least one diene elastomer, a filler comprising at least carbon black and an inorganic filler with an inorganic filler content of less than or equal to 50 parts by weight per hundred parts of elastomer, phr, and also a crosslinking system.

The present invention relates to biodegradable and compostable granules consisting of natural ingredients comprising starch and thickening and gelling agents and does not comprise bioplastics. According to the invention, the granules are used for producing biodegradable and preferably compostable products and articles of daily use. The present invention also relates to methods for producing the granules according to the invention, as well as methods for producing different products by using the granules according to the invention.

A rubber composition manufacturing method comprises an operation in which at least rubber, silica, and silane coupling agent are kneaded in an internal kneader at not less than a temperature lower limit for a coupling reaction between the silica and the silane coupling agent to proceed. For at least a portion of time during which that operation is being carried out, a compressed gas is delivered to the kneading chamber while the ram is in a nonpressing state.

A method for preparing a graphene-containing ultra-fine powdered natural rubber masterbatch, including: mixing a diluted graphene oxide dispersion with an anionic surfactant to obtain a modified graphene oxide dispersion; mixing the modified graphene oxide dispersion with a natural rubber latex suspension to obtain a mixed emulsion; and subjecting the mixed emulsion to spray drying to obtain the ultra-fine powdered natural rubber masterbatch with a particle size of less than 5 m. This application further provides a method for preparing a graphene-modified natural rubber nanocomposite, including: mixing the ultra-fine powdered natural rubber masterbatch with natural rubber block, and carbon black.

Crumb rubber obtained from recycled tires is subjected to an interlinked substitution process. The process utilizes a reactive component that interferes with sulfur bonds. The resulting treated rubber exhibits properties similar to those of the virgin composite rubber structure prior to being granulated, and is suitable for use in fabricating new tires, engineered rubber articles, and asphalt rubber for use in waterproofing and paving applications.