The bead portion (60) of the pneumatic tire (10) includes a bead structure (61) having a bead core (62) in which a bead cord (62a) formed of a metal material is covered with a resin material, and a film-like member (64) covering the periphery of the bead structure (61). The film-like member (64) is formed of a material having a lower moisture permeability than the resin material.

The bead portion of a pneumatic tire has a bead structure including a bead core having a bead cord covered with a resin material, and a bead filler continuous to the bead core and formed of the resin material and tapered outside in the tire radial direction. The bead structure has a weld line of the resin material. The weld line is formed inside in the tire radial direction more than ⅔ of the total height along the tire radial direction of the bead structure.

The invention is directed to a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on parts by weight per 100 parts by weight elastomer (phr):100 phr of at least one diene-based elastomer; from 1-80 phr of carbon black; from 0 to 100 phr of silica; from 1 to 10 phr of a surface-functionalized carbon allotrope; from 1 to 20 parts by weight of a sulfur-containing organosilane per 100 parts by weight of the silica; and from 0.1 to 10 phr of a tetrazine compound of formula 1

##STR00001##

where X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 each represent a heterocyclic group. The invention also includes a pneumatic tire comprising the vulcanizable rubber composition.

This invention is based upon the discovery that benzoxazine resins can be incorporated into certain rubber compositions to increase the stiffness thereof without increasing hysteresis or reducing tear strength. Such benzoxazine resin reinforced rubber formulations can accordingly be used beneficially in components of rubber products where high stiffness is desirable. Since these benzoxazine resin reinforced rubbers do not increase levels of hysteresis, they can be used in tires components, such as apexes, chaffers, and high stiffness tread blocks without compromising fuel efficiency. This invention more specifically reveals a radial tire having an apex, a chaffer, or a hard tread block segment which is comprised of a rubbery polymer and a benzoxazine resin.

The bead portion of a pneumatic tire has a bead structure including a bead core having a bead cord covered with a resin material, and a bead filler continuous to the bead core and formed of the resin material and tapered outside in the tire radial direction. The bead structure has a weld line of the resin material. The weld line is formed inside in the tire radial direction more than ⅔ of the total height along the tire radial direction of the bead structure.

The present invention relates to a tire (100) for vehicle wheels comprising a tire component comprising a crosslinked elastomeric material obtained by crosslinking a crosslinkable elastomeric composition, wherein said elastomeric composition comprises a polymer blend comprising (a) 50 to 95 percent by weight of a first elastomeric polymer and (b) 5 to 50 percent by weight of a second elastomeric polymer based on the total weight of the polymer blend. The second elastomeric polymer (b) is obtainable by (i) anionic polymerization of at least one conjugated diene monomer and one or more a-olefin monomer(s) in the presence of a polymerization initiator in an organic solvent, and (ii) coupling the polymer chains obtained in (i) by a coupling agent. The second elastomeric polymer (b) has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 5,000-40,000 g/mol and a coupling rate of at least 50 percent by weight.

The present invention relates to compositions for elastomeric compounds for tyres, comprising monotetrazole compatibilizing agents characterised by precise activation temperatures, tyre components and tyres for vehicle wheels which comprise them. Advantageously, the present monotetrazole compatibilizing agents allow the breaking properties of the compounds to be improved while maintaining a high compatibilisation of the filler.

The present invention relates to elastomeric compositions for tyres and relative compounds, components and tyres comprising them, said compositions comprising an elastomeric polymer, a phenolic product, optionally already partially cross-linked, optionally an aldehyde and/or at least a methylene donor product and an oxidised carbon allotrope as a cross-linking catalyst. Advantageously, this catalyst is able to complete the cross-linking reactions of the phenolic resins in the conventional times and conditions of vulcanisation, or even more rapidly, providing mechanically stable compounds.

The present invention is directed to a pneumatic tire having a tread comprising a vulcanizable rubber composition comprising, based on 100 parts by weight of elastomer (phr), up to 100 phr of a solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber; from 5 to 50 phr of a fatty acid monoester of formula 1

##STR00001##

where R.sup.1 is selected from C1 to C8 linear or branched alkyl, C1 to C8 linear or branched alkenyl, and C2 to C6 linear or branched alkyl substituted with from one to five hydroxyl groups; R.sup.2 is C11 to C21 alkyl or C11 to C21 alkenyl; from 5 to 50 phr of a hydrocarbon resin having a Tg ranging from −40° C. to 20° C.; less than 10 phr of a petroleum-derived oil; and from 50 to 130 phr of silica. optionally, from about 1 to 50 phr carbon black.

A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion, sidewall portions, a pair of bead portions embedded with bead cores, and a carcass. The carcass includes a turned up ply including a main body portion extending between the bead cores, and a pair of turned up portions turned up around the bead cores from axially inside to outside. Each bead portion is provided with an inner apex rubber extending radially outward from the bead core between the main body portion and the turned up portion and an outer apex rubber arranged axially outside the turned up portion. The inner apex rubber has a radial height of from 18 to 30 mm. A buttress thickness D, a maximum width thickness E, and a bead thickness F satisfy Expressions (1) to (4):

E≥4.5 mm  (1)

F≥9.0 mm  (2)

E/D=0.6 to 0.9  (3)

F/E=1.7 to 2.2  (4).