A rubber compound for the preparation of portions of pneumatic tyres comprising a cross-linking unsaturated chain polymer base, a filler system and a vulcanization system. The filler system comprises (a) a first carbon black having a surface area less than or equal to 170 m.sup.2/gr in a quantity greater than or equal to 25 phr; (b) a second carbon black having a surface area greater than or equal to 250 m.sup.2/gr in a quantity such that the ratio between the quantity of the first carbon black and the quantity of the second carbon black is greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 10; (c) a carbon black dispersing agent in a quantity of less than or equal to 1 phr.

The invention provides a heavy-duty tire rubber composition excellent in wet grip performance and steering stability, and a tire tread, a bead filler, a tire belt and a heavy-duty tire which each partially include the composition. The heavy-duty tire rubber composition includes 100 parts by mass of a solid rubber (A), 0.1 to 50 parts by mass of a modified liquid diene rubber (B) having a functional group derived from a silane compound with a specific structure, and 20 to 200 parts by mass of a filler (C), the modified liquid diene rubber (B) satisfying the following (i) and (ii): (i) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is not less than 1,000 and not more than 120,000, and (ii) the vinyl content is not less than 30 mol % and less than 70 mol %.

A rubber composition is based on at least one diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a crosslinking system and a hydrocarbon-based resin. The hydrocarbon-based resin has a number-average molecular weight (Mn) of between 700 and 1000 g/mol, an average molecular weight Mz of greater than 6000 g/mol and a polydispersity index (PI) of greater than 2.4.

A rubber composition that is based upon a cross-linkable elastomer composition comprising, per 100 parts by weight of rubber (phr) between 70 phr and 100 phr of an epoxidized rubber component selected from an epoxidized polybutadiene rubber (eBR), an epoxidized styrene-butadiene rubber (eSBR), or combinations thereof, wherein the epoxidized rubber component has a Tg of between −80° C. and −110° C. and an epoxy-function content of between 1 mol % and 25 mol %; between 30 phr and 150 phr of a plasticizing resin; and a quickly reactive silica that provides a macro dispersion Z-value of at least 50 in a defined rubber composition; and a non-silol coupling agent.

A method of preparing functionalized elastomers, including epoxy ring-opening an epoxidized elastomer with a C.sub.1-C.sub.32 hydrocarbyl-substituted thiol to provide a functionalized elastomer comprising an epoxy functional group, a hydroxy functional group, and a C.sub.1-C.sub.32 hydrocarbyl-substituted thio functional group. The hydroxy functional group and the C.sub.1-C.sub.32 hydrocarbyl-substituted thio functional group are vicinal functional groups.

The embodiments described herein generally relate to an electronic communication module suitable for incorporating into a tire or tire retread, where the electronic communication module comprises a radio device having at least a portion of its outer surface surrounded by a rubber composition. Certain embodiments also relate to tires or tire retreads containing the electronic communication module. In addition, certain embodiments relate to methods for improving the readability of a radio device incorporated into a tire or tire retread.

Recycled elements and/or renewable resources, such as recycled carbon black or recycled carbon black and recycled particulate rubber, are incorporated into a rubber composition. The rubber composition can be used to manufacture tires or various tire components including tire subtreads.

Provided is a rubber composition comprising: a rubber component containing diene-based rubber; a filler, and a compound represented by formula (I) below: ##STR00001##
(wherein: A is an aryl group and has at least two polar groups, which may be the same or different from each other; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently at least one substituent selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an acyl group, an amide group, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, and an aryl group; and further, the substituent may include one or more of O, S, and N atoms), so as to provide a rubber composition excellent in low heat generating property and wear resistance.

Rubber compounds may comprise: an epoxidized polypentenamer rubber (CPR) and/or a hydrolyzed epoxidized CPR; and a filler comprising silica particles. One nonlimiting example is rubber compound comprising: phr to 90 phr of a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), a natural rubber (NR), and/or a butadiene rubber (BR); 10 phr to 50 phr of a epoxidized CPR and/or a hydrolyzed epoxidized CPR; and 10 phr to 200 phr of a filler comprising silica particles, wherein the SBR, the NR, the BR, the epoxidized CPR, and the hydrolyzed epoxidized CPR combined equal 100 parts. Rubber compounds comprising epoxidized CPR and/or a hydrolyzed epoxidized CPR; and a filler comprising silica particles may be useful in tire compositions.

This disclosure provides a rubber composition that can realize excellent low heat generating properties without deteriorating other performance. The rubber composition contains a rubber component and a filler, where the rubber component contains a conjugated diene-based polymer modified with a modifier containing a compound represented by the formula (1).

##STR00001##