A rubber composition comprising a plurality of composite particles and an elastomer is provided. A composite comprising a conductive polymer and a clay particle are also provided. Use of each in various applications and methods of preparing each are also provided.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire having a pair of spaced apart bead components, a connecting carcass between the bead components, a pair of sidewalls overlying the carcass, and a rubber chafer portion adjacent to each of the sidewalls and positioned around at least a portion of each of the bead components and intended for contacting a rigid rim of a wheel, the rubber chafer portion comprising a radially innermost toe guard and a chafer adjacent to a radially outer end of the toe guard; wherein the ratio of a modulus of the toe guard to a modulus of the chafer is in the range of 3 to 10.

A process for preparing a blend of trans-1,4-polybutadiene and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene, the process comprising the steps of (i) polymerizing 1,3-butadiene in the presence of a lanthanide-based catalyst to form a polymerization mixture including trans-1,4-polybutadiene, where the lanthanide-based catalyst includes (a) a lanthanide-containing compound, and (b) an organomagnesium compound; and (ii) polymerizing 1,3-butadiene in the presence of an iron-based catalyst within the polymerization mixture including trans-1,4-polybutadiene to form syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene within the polymerization mixture including trans-1,4-polybutadiene and thereby produce a blend of trans-1,4-polybutadiene and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene; where the iron-based catalyst includes (a) an iron-containing compound, (b) an organomagnesium compound, and (c) a silyl phosphonate.

The reinforcing structure for a tire is in the form of a stratified assembly formed of two layers of reinforcing strips of completely connected cross section, and flattened in shape. According to the method, the strips of each layer are laid side by side in a main direction of laying. The strips of the first layer are spaced apart by a distance that is less than the width of the strips of the second layer and in such a way that the edges of the strips of the first layer overlap the edges of the strips of the second layer. The two layers of strips are separated by a layer of uncoupling rubber.

Provided is a pneumatic tire including a sidewall that has a good balance of excellent handling stability, rolling resistance, and durability and further has excellent flex crack growth resistance. The sidewall is formed from a modified cellulose fiber-containing rubber composition that is allowed to simultaneously achieve excellent rigidity, excellent tensile properties, and low energy loss by improving the dispersibility of the cellulose fiber in rubber. The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire including a sidewall formed from a modified cellulose fiber-containing rubber composition, the modified cellulose fiber-containing rubber composition containing a modified cellulose fiber (A) obtained by adding a C15 or higher cyclic polybasic acid anhydride (a) containing a hydrophobic group to a cellulose fiber through esterification, a dispersing polymer (B) having a softening point of 135 C. or lower, and a rubber component (C).

Provided are a rubber composition for tires preventing discoloration and improving ozone resistance while maintaining or improving good elongation at break and good fuel economy, and a pneumatic tire using the rubber composition. Included is a rubber composition for tires including: a rubber component including at least one selected from the group consisting of a specific non-oil extended polybutadiene rubber and a specific oil extended polybutadiene rubber; a phenylenediamine antioxidant; a specific nonionic surfactant; and carbon black and/or silica, the rubber composition having an amount of diene rubber of 70-100% by mass per 100% by mass of the rubber component, the rubber composition having an amount of the phenylenediamine antioxidant of 1.0-8.0 parts by mass, an amount of the nonionic surfactant of 0.1-5.0 parts by mass, and a combined amount of carbon black and silica of 20-45 parts by mass, each per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component.

Metallated aminosilane compounds for use as functional initiators in anionic polymerizations and processes for producing an aminosilane-functionalized polymer using the metallated aminosilane compounds to initiate anionic polymerization of at least one type of anionically polymerizable monomer. Preferred use of the metallated aminosilane compounds results in rubber compositions for use in tires comprising an aminosilane functionalized polymer.

Tires for vehicle wheels having reduced environmental impact and the components thereof, in particular reinforcing structural elements such as carcass structures, belt structures, flippers and chafers, include elongated reinforcing elements treated with resorcinol and formaldehyde-free cross-linkable adhesive compositions. The adhesive compositions include at least a) a rubber latex, at least b) an epoxide and at least c) a polyamine with molecular weight higher than 190 Daltons, including at least two amino groups selected from primary NH2 and secondary NH amino groups. In the structural element, these compositions confer an adhesion between cords and compounds that is comparable to, if not better than, the traditional RFL system in use in this sector. Furthermore, by suitably modifying the compound compositions in the reinforced structural elements and, possibly, also in the other elastomeric components of the tire, it is possible to manufacture tires while avoiding the use of toxic chemicals, such, as resorcinol and formaldehyde.

Provided is bead fiber with which sufficient air volume can be infused for making a high-performance bicycle tire, which has superior workability that does not require drying of the bead fibers when covering the bead fibers with rubber, and which is effective in preventing rim detachment. A high-performance bicycle tire can be obtained by using this tire bead fiber. The tire bead fiber is characterized by being formed using wholly aromatic polyester fiber with a modulus of elasticity of 800 cN/dt or greater.

Provided is a pneumatic tire ensuring conductivity while being reduced in weight, and having good fuel efficiency and handling stability. The tire includes a sidewall and a carcass, the sidewall including a laminate of two or more rubber layers including an inner sidewall layer (1) located closest to the carcass, and an outer sidewall layer (2) constituting an outer surface of the tire; the layer (1) including a rubber composition for (1); the layer (2) including a rubber composition for (2); the carcass including a carcass cord topped with a rubber composition for a carcass cord topping (3); the sidewall having a thickness of 3.0 mm or less; the layer (1) having a thickness of 0.2-1.0 mm; the composition for (1) having a volume resistivity of 5.010.sup.7 .Math.cm or less; the compositions for (1) and for (2), and the compositions for (3) and for (1) satisfying specific relations.