A vulcanized rubber is formed by a method comprising blending a halogenated unsaturated polymer into a rubber comprised of cis 1-4 polyisoprene to form a vulcanizable polymer blend, adding a vulcanization material to the vulcanizable polymer blend, and vulcanizing the vulcanizable polymer blend to form a homogeneous vulcanized rubber. The method may be used to form a vulcanized rubber comprised of polyisoprene uniformly crosslinked with a halogenated unsaturated polymer that is a reaction product of (i) an unsaturated polymer miscible with polyisoprene and having conjugated dienes that undergo a Diels Alder reaction and (ii) a polyhalogenated cyclopentadiene.

Provided are modified plant fibers suitable for addition to rubber; an additive for rubber comprising the modified plant fibers which can be micronized and dispersed easily and highly when adding to rubber; a method of preparing the additive for rubber; and a rubber composition comprising the additive for rubber. Modified plant fibers (A) in which plant fibers (a) and a modified synthetic rubber (B) are covalently bonded wherein the ratio of the modified synthetic rubber (B) relative to 100 parts by weight of the plant fibers (a) is 5 to 100 parts by weight. An additive for rubber comprising 20 to 75 weight % of the modified plant fibers (A) according to claim 1 and 25 to 80 weight % of a processing agent for rubber (C), wherein the number average molecular weight of the processing agent for rubber (C) is 400 to 60,000, and the glass transition point of the processing agent for rubber (C) is 100 C. or less, and wherein the additive for rubber includes plant fibers in the ratio of 10 to 65 weight %.

Provided are modified plant fibers suitable for addition to rubber; an additive for rubber comprising the modified plant fibers which can be micronized and dispersed easily and highly when adding to rubber; a method of preparing the additive for rubber; and a rubber composition comprising the additive for rubber. Modified plant fibers (A) in which plant fibers (a) and a modified synthetic rubber (B) are covalently bonded wherein the ratio of the modified synthetic rubber (B) relative to 100 parts by weight of the plant fibers (a) is 5 to 100 parts by weight. An additive for rubber comprising 20 to 75 weight % of the modified plant fibers (A) according to claim 1 and 25 to 80 weight % of a processing agent for rubber (C), wherein the number average molecular weight of the processing agent for rubber (C) is 400 to 60,000, and the glass transition point of the processing agent for rubber (C) is 100 C. or less, and wherein the additive for rubber includes plant fibers in the ratio of 10 to 65 weight %.

According to an aspect of the invention, a curable rubber composition is provided which includes a high molecular weight diene elastomer; optionally, a carbon black composition; a silica composition; and a farnesene polymer comprising farnesene monomers. The farnesene polymer is modified with at least one silane group, has a number average molecular weight of 1,000 g/mol to 100,000 g/mol, and has a glass transition temperature of equal to or less than 50 C. According to another aspect of the invention, a method for producing a rubber composition for use in a tire is provided. The method includes forming a composition by mixing a farnesene polymer modified with at least one silane group, a silica composition, a high molecular weight diene elastomer, and optionally a carbon black composition, the farnesene polymer comprising farnesene monomers; and curing the composition.

According to an aspect of the invention, a curable rubber composition is provided which includes a high molecular weight diene elastomer; optionally, a carbon black composition; a silica composition; and a farnesene polymer comprising farnesene monomers. The farnesene polymer is modified with at least one silane group, has a number average molecular weight of 1,000 g/mol to 100,000 g/mol, and has a glass transition temperature of equal to or less than 50 C. According to another aspect of the invention, a method for producing a rubber composition for use in a tire is provided. The method includes forming a composition by mixing a farnesene polymer modified with at least one silane group, a silica composition, a high molecular weight diene elastomer, and optionally a carbon black composition, the farnesene polymer comprising farnesene monomers; and curing the composition.

A rubber composition based at least on a reinforcing filler, on a Lewis or Bronsted acid and on a modified diene elastomer is provided. The diene elastomer bears one or more pendant associative groups comprising at least one nitrogen atom. The diene elastomer before modification is obtained by stereospecific polymerization in the presence of a neodymium-based Ziegler-Natta catalytic system. The Lewis acid is selected from the group consisting of aluminium oxides, titanium oxides and the compounds M(L).sub.n, with M being boron, magnesium, aluminium, titanium, iron, zinc, indium or ytterbium, L being a monodentate or bidendate ligand and n being an integer ranging from 2 to 4. The Bronsted acid is selected from the group consisting of sulfonic acids. Such a composition exhibits a very low hysteresis.

A low viscosity polymer having a linear or branched backbone derived from farnesene monomers and at least one terminal-end functionalized with a hydroxyl group. This polymer may be further hydrogenated to reduce unsaturation and acrylated, such that it may be incorporated into a LOCA composition. The LOCA composition may be used in a laminated screen assembly, such as a touch screen, for electronic devices by adhering the LOCA composition between an optically transparent layer, such as a cover glass, and a display. The cured LOCA composition has a refractive index similar to the optically transparent layer. A method of making the low viscosity polymer for the LOCA composition includes anionically polymerizing farnesene monomers, quenching a living end of the polymer to provide the hydroxyl-terminated polymer; hydrogenating the hydroxyl-terminated polymer; and reacting the at least partially saturated hydroxyl-terminated polymer with at least one reagent to provide an acrylate terminated hydrogenated polymer.

A low viscosity polymer having a linear or branched backbone derived from farnesene monomers and at least one terminal-end functionalized with a hydroxyl group. This polymer may be further hydrogenated to reduce unsaturation and acrylated, such that it may be incorporated into a LOCA composition. The LOCA composition may be used in a laminated screen assembly, such as a touch screen, for electronic devices by adhering the LOCA composition between an optically transparent layer, such as a cover glass, and a display. The cured LOCA composition has a refractive index similar to the optically transparent layer. A method of making the low viscosity polymer for the LOCA composition includes anionically polymerizing farnesene monomers, quenching a living end of the polymer to provide the hydroxyl-terminated polymer; hydrogenating the hydroxyl-terminated polymer; and reacting the at least partially saturated hydroxyl-terminated polymer with at least one reagent to provide an acrylate terminated hydrogenated polymer.

The present invention provides: a modified isobutylene-isoprene rubber including a structural unit of Chemical Formula I, a production method for the same, and a cured material formed by thermally curing the same (in Chemical Formula I, X is an alkyl group including at least two carboxyl groups). The modified isobutylene-isoprene rubber exhibits excellent characteristics in terms of adhesive properties, flexibility, water vapor transmission resistance and transparency.

The present invention provides: a modified isobutylene-isoprene rubber including a structural unit of Chemical Formula I, a production method for the same, and a cured material formed by thermally curing the same (in Chemical Formula I, X is an alkyl group including at least two carboxyl groups). The modified isobutylene-isoprene rubber exhibits excellent characteristics in terms of adhesive properties, flexibility, water vapor transmission resistance and transparency.