A method of producing a substrate includes: applying a composition on a metal basal plate to form a coating film; and forming a metal-containing layer on at least a part of the coating film. The composition contains a solvent, and a polymer having a first terminal structure and a second terminal structure in a single molecule. Each of the first terminal structure and the second terminal structure is at least one selected from the group consisting of a structure represented by formula (1) and a structure represented by formula (2). A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each independently represent a monovalent group having a functional group capable of forming a chemical bond with a metal atom. L.sup.2 represents —S—, —NR—, or —NA.sup.22-, wherein A.sup.22 represents a monovalent group having a functional group capable of forming a chemical bond with a metal atom. ##STR00001##

A method of producing a substrate includes: applying a composition on a metal basal plate to form a coating film; and forming a metal-containing layer on at least a part of the coating film. The composition contains a solvent, and a polymer having a first terminal structure and a second terminal structure in a single molecule. Each of the first terminal structure and the second terminal structure is at least one selected from the group consisting of a structure represented by formula (1) and a structure represented by formula (2). A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each independently represent a monovalent group having a functional group capable of forming a chemical bond with a metal atom. L.sup.2 represents —S—, —NR—, or —NA.sup.22-, wherein A.sup.22 represents a monovalent group having a functional group capable of forming a chemical bond with a metal atom. ##STR00001##

A process of preparing an aqueous solution of a cycloimide-containing polymer includes heating an aqueous solution of a cycloanhydride-containing polymer with a first neutralizing agent at a ratio of cycloanhydride to neutralizing agent of about 1:1 to about 1:1.5 at a temperature and for a time sufficient to form the aqueous solution of the cycloimide-containing polymer having a cycloimide to acid group ratio of about 1:2 to about 1.5:2.

A process of preparing an aqueous solution of a cycloimide-containing polymer includes heating an aqueous solution of a cycloanhydride-containing polymer with a first neutralizing agent at a ratio of cycloanhydride to neutralizing agent of about 1:1 to about 1:1.5 at a temperature and for a time sufficient to form the aqueous solution of the cycloimide-containing polymer having a cycloimide to acid group ratio of about 1:2 to about 1.5:2.

A tire having excellent wet grip performance and low rolling resistance is provided. This tire is a tire obtained by using a rubber composition that includes a rubber component containing a rubber having an isoprene structure and an aminoalkoxysilane-modified styrene-butadiene rubber having an amount of bonded styrene of 15% or less; a filler containing a silica having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (BET method) of 130 m.sup.2/g or more and less than 330 m.sup.2/g, the amount of the filler being 40 to 125 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the rubber component; and a hydrogenated resin having a softening point of higher than 110° C. and having a weight average molecular weight as converted to polystyrene of 200 to 1200 g/mol, the amount of the hydrogenated resin being 5 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.

A tire having excellent wet grip performance and low rolling resistance is provided. This tire is a tire obtained by using a rubber composition that includes a rubber component containing a rubber having an isoprene structure and an aminoalkoxysilane-modified styrene-butadiene rubber having an amount of bonded styrene of 15% or less; a filler containing a silica having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (BET method) of 130 m.sup.2/g or more and less than 330 m.sup.2/g, the amount of the filler being 40 to 125 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the rubber component; and a hydrogenated resin having a softening point of higher than 110° C. and having a weight average molecular weight as converted to polystyrene of 200 to 1200 g/mol, the amount of the hydrogenated resin being 5 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.

Provided is a polymer production method including: batch-adding a reaction solution including a monomer mixture including a maleimide-based monomer, a vinyl aromatic monomer, and a vinyl cyanide-based monomer and an aqueous solvent to a reactor and initiating polymerization; and carrying out the polymerization while continuously adding the maleimide-based monomer and the aqueous solvent to the reactor, wherein the reaction solution satisfies the above Formula 1.

Provided is a polymer production method including: batch-adding a reaction solution including a monomer mixture including a maleimide-based monomer, a vinyl aromatic monomer, and a vinyl cyanide-based monomer and an aqueous solvent to a reactor and initiating polymerization; and carrying out the polymerization while continuously adding the maleimide-based monomer and the aqueous solvent to the reactor, wherein the reaction solution satisfies the above Formula 1.

Provided is a polymer production method including: batch-adding a reaction solution including a monomer mixture including a maleimide-based monomer, a vinyl aromatic monomer, and a vinyl cyanide-based monomer and an aqueous solvent to a reactor and initiating polymerization; and carrying out the polymerization while continuously adding the maleimide-based monomer and the aqueous solvent to the reactor, wherein the reaction solution satisfies the above Formula 1.

A vulcanizable rubber composition comprises an interpenetrating or ionic network (IPN)-promoting resin. The resin comprises side chain functional groups along the resin backbone, which, in the presence of an additive material, form the connections that make up the IPN. In one embodiment, such material is ZnO. A method for forming the rubber composition comprises, in a productive step, mixing the product of the non-productive step, the zinc oxide, and a resin derived from maleic anhydride. The zinc oxide and the resin are simultaneously added to the composition during the productive mixing stage. The rubber composition can be cured and incorporated in a tire component, such as, a tread.