The invention relates to a tyre (100) for vehicle wheels comprising at least one structural element comprising a vulcanized elastomeric material obtained by vulcanizing a vulcanizable elastomeric composition comprising at least one vulcanizable diene elastomeric polymer and at least one composite reinforcing filler, a process for producing a tyre (100) comprising the composite reinforcing filler, a masterbatch comprising the composite reinforcing filler and a process for producing the same, as well as a process for producing the composite reinforcing filler.

The side-reinforcing rubber for run-flat tires of the present invention is a side-reinforcing rubber for run-flat tires, including a vulcanized rubber which is formed of a rubber composition containing a rubber component containing a dienic rubber, a vulcanizing agent, and a carbon black having a dibutyl phthalate oil absorption of 120 mL/100 g or more, and has a specific surface area according to a nitrogen adsorption method of 20 to 80 m.sup.2/g, with a ratio of an Sx bond (where x is 3 or more) to all sulfide bonds in the side-reinforcing rubber for run-flat tires being 40% or less. The side-reinforcing rubber for run-flat tires is excellent in durability life.

Provided are a rubber composition for tires that provides improved silica dispersion and fuel economy while maintaining good hardness, and a pneumatic tire including the rubber composition. The present invention relates to a rubber composition for tires, containing a rubber component, silica, and a silica dispersing agent represented by the following formula (I).

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The present invention relates to a side reinforcing rubber composition for run flat tires, containing a rubber component; a filler containing a carbon black A having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of 20 to 60 m.sup.2/g and a carbon black B having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of 100 to 150 m.sup.2/g, a ratio (a/b) of the content a of the carbon black A to the content b of the carbon black B being 2.7 to 10; a vulcanizing agent; and a vulcanization accelerator, the side reinforcing rubber composition for run flat tires being able to produce a side reinforcing rubber for run flat tires capable of enhancing the run flat durability.

The present invention is directed to a functionalized elastomer comprising the reaction product of a living anionic elastomeric polymer and a polymerization terminator of formula I ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 is C1 to C4 linear alkyl, or C1 to C4 branched alkanediyl; X.sup.1, X.sup.2, X.sup.3 are independently O, S, or a group of formula (II) or (III) ##STR00002##
where R.sup.2 is C1 to C18 linear or branched alkyl; and Z is R.sup.3CHCHR.sup.4, where R.sup.3 is a covalent bond or C1 to C18 linear or branched alkanediyl, and R.sup.4 is a hydrogen or C1 to C18 linear or branched alkyl.

A run-flat tire includes: a pair of bead portions in which bead cores are embedded; sidewall portions that are continuous with tire radial direction outer sides of the bead portions; a carcass that extends across the pair of bead portions and has a body portion that is positioned between the bead cores and turn-up portions that are turned up from inside to outside about the bead cores; a belt layer disposed on a tire radial direction outer side of the carcass; a tread provided on a tire radial direction outer side of the belt layer; side reinforcing layers that are made of rubber, disposed on the tire inner side of the body portion, and configured so that a thickness of the side reinforcing layers gradually decreases toward the tread and the bead portions; and bead fillers that are made of resin and provided between the bead cores, the body portion, and the turn-up portions.

The invention relates to a silane, to a rubber mixture containing the silane and to a vehicle tire comprising the rubber mixture in at least one component.

The silane according to the invention has the following formula I)

(R.sup.1).sub.oSiR.sup.2X-A-Y[R.sup.7Y].sub.mR.sup.7S-G,I)

wherein according to the invention it has a spacer group between the silyl group and the S-G moiety, wherein the spacer group has an aromatic group A and at least one further aromatic group and/or an alkylene group and also the linking units X and Y, wherein the group X is selected from the groups HNC(O), C(O)NH, C(O)O, OC(O), OC(O)NH, HNC(O)O, R.sup.3NC(O)NR.sup.3, R.sup.3NC(NR.sup.3)NR.sup.3, R.sup.3NC(S)NR.sup.3, wherein at least one R.sup.3 within the group X is a hydrogen atom, and wherein the groups Y are selected from the groups HNC(O), C(O)NH, C(O)O, OC(O), OC(O)NH, HNC(O)O, R.sup.4NC(O)NR.sup.4, R.sup.4NC(NR.sup.4)NR.sup.4, R.sup.4NC(S)NR.sup.4, wherein at least one R.sup.4 within each group Y is a hydrogen atom, and wherein the radicals R.sup.7 are selected from aromatic groups A and alkylene radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which may have cyclic, branched and/or aliphatically unsaturated groups; and wherein G is a hydrogen atom or a C(O)R.sup.8 group or a SiR.sup.8.sub.3 group, wherein R.sup.8 is selected from linear, branched and cyclic C.sub.1-C.sub.20-alkyl groups, C.sub.6-C.sub.20-aryl groups, C.sub.2-C.sub.20-alkenyl groups and C.sub.7-C.sub.20-aralkyl groups, and wherein m can take the values 0 to 4.

The rubber mixture according to the invention contains at least one silane according to the invention.

Disclosed herein are a tire comprising at least one component having a surface coated with a liquid release layer, a process for preparing a tire having at least one component with a surface coated with a release layer, and a cured tire comprising a tire body at least one component with a surface coated with a release layer. The release layer comprises at least one silicone rubber and at least one adhesive polymer which may be present in latex form in the liquid release layer.

To provide a catalyst composition having high polymerization activity. To provide a polymer manufacturing method. To provide a polymer manufactured by the polymer manufacturing method. To provide a rubber composition including the polymer. To provide a tire using the rubber composition. A catalyst composition including a compound represented by Structural Formula I below, wherein the compound has an OH group at at least one position of the bipyridyl ring; M is a transition metal, a lanthanoid, scandium, or yttrium; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are a hydrocarbon group having one or more carbon atoms or a halogen atom; and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different from each other. A polymer manufacturing method including a step of polymerizing one or more selected from the group consisting of a conjugated diene compound and a compound having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond in the presence of the catalyst composition. A polymer manufactured by the manufacturing method. A rubber composition including the polymer. A tire using the rubber composition.

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The present invention provides a tire which has at least one member selected from the group consisting of a side reinforcing rubber layer and a bead filler made of a vulcanized rubber composition comprising a natural rubber as a rubber component and having a difference between a dynamic tensile storage modulus E at 180 C. (A) and a dynamic tensile storage modulus E at 25 C. (B) {E(A)E(B)} of 2.0 MPa or more, the dynamic tensile storage moduli being measured under conditions of an initial tensile strain of 5%, a dynamic tensile strain of 1%, and a frequency of 52 Hz, and provides the tire excellent in achieving both the riding comfort in normal running and the durability in Run-flat running.