A process for preparing polyurethane composites includes (i) providing a dispersion of nanocrystalline cellulose in (a) one or more polyols, (b) one or more isocyanates, or (c) one or more polyols and one or more isocyanate, mixed together; wherein the amount of water in the nanocrystalline cellulose is less than about 1% w/w; (ii) mixing the dispersion of (i)(a) with an isocyanate or (i)(b) with a polyol and a catalyst to allow polymerization; or mixing the dispersion of (i)(c) and a catalyst to allow polymerization; and (iii) isolating the polyurethane composite. A method for improving properties of polyurethanes includes dispersing nanocrystalline cellulose into one or both parts of a two part polyol/isocyanate precursors prior to allowing polymerization of the precursors, wherein the amount of water in the nanocrystalline cellulose is less than about 1% w/w; mixing the dispersion with a catalyst; and polymerizing the precursors to provide the polyurethane.

A tire including a tire frame that is formed of a resin material and has a circular form, the resin material including a thermoplastic elastomer having a hard segment and a soft segment, and a polymer compound that has the same structural unit as the structural unit of the soft segment and which is different from the thermoplastic elastomer, a content of the polymer compound in the tire frame being from 0.20 parts by mass to 2.5 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic elastomer contained in the tire frame.

A tire includes a circular tire frame formed from a resinous material, the resinous material including a thermoplastic elastomer, the thermoplastic elastomer including: a hard segment that does not contain an aromatic ring; a soft segment; and a connection portion that includes an aromatic ring and that connects the hard segment and the soft segment.

A tire including a tire skeleton body that is made of a resin material containing a polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer and has a ring shape, wherein the polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer includes a hard segment, a soft segment consisting of a constituent unit derived from polypropylene glycol, and a binding portion that binds two or more segments and that consists of a constituent unit derived from a dicarboxylic acid of from 6 to 20 carbons, the polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer having a weight average molecular weight of from 20,000 to 250,000.

There is provided a tire comprising a tire frame that is formed of a resin material and has a circular form, wherein the resin material comprises a thermoplastic elastomer having a structure including a hard segment (HS) and a soft segment (SS), which repeat alternately, in which a number of repeating units in one molecular chain is from 2 to 10, each of the repeating units being a pair of the hard segment (HS) and the soft segment (SS), the thermoplastic elastomer having a number average molecular weight of from 45,000 to 160,000.

There is provided a tire including a tire frame that is formed of a resin material and has a circular form, wherein the resin material includes a thermoplastic elastomer having a hard segment (HS) and a soft segment (SS), in which only one unit of the soft segment (SS) is included in a single molecular chain, and both terminals of the single molecular chain are formed by the hard segment (HS), the thermoplastic elastomer having a number average molecular weight of from 12,000 to 24,000.

This invention relates to a vehicular tire containing at least one carbon black reinforced polyurethane component.

Provided is a tire that prevents a polyurethane foam layer from discoloring to brown. A tire comprises: a polyurethane foam layer laminated on an outer layer of the tire with a barrier layer therebetween, wherein the polyurethane foam layer contains a polyurethane foam, and the barrier layer is formed from a rubber composition containing butyl rubber as a rubber component.

A crosslinked rubber is produced by crosslinking a polymer composition containing 100 parts by weight of a rubber component containing a cyclopentene ring-opening polymer and 20 to 200 parts by weight of carbon black, wherein, when the crosslinked rubber is subjected to an ozone treatment in which the rubber is maintained at 40° C. and an ozone concentration of 50 pphm for 144 hours under a 20% tensile strain, the crosslinked rubber shows a rate of change in tensile strength before and after ozone treatment of within ±70%.

Elastomeric copolymer with a high sulfur content, comprising sulfur in a quantity higher than or equal to 40% by weight, preferably ranging from 55% by weight to 90% by weight, with respect to the total weight of said elastomeric copolymer, and at least one monomer having general formula (I): CH.sub.2═CH—(CH.sub.2).sub.y-(X).sub.n-(X).sub.m-(CH.sub.2).sub.x—CH═CH.sub.2 (I) wherein: X represents a sulfur atom, a selenium atom, a tellurium atom, preferably a sulfur atom, a selenium atom; y and x, equal to or different from one another, are a whole number ranging from 0 to 4; n and m, equal to or different from one another, are a whole number ranging from 0 to 3, at least one of n and m being equal to 1; said monomer being present in a quantity lower than or equal to 60% by weight, preferably ranging from 10% by weight to 45% by weight, with respect to the total weight of said elastomeric copolymer; provided that, in the case wherein in said general formula (I) X is sulfur, y and x are 1, at least one of n and m must be different from 1 and the sum of n+m must be different from 1. Said elastomeric copolymer with a high sulfur content can be advantageously used in a great many applications such as, for example, thermal insulation, conveyor