The present invention provides rubber compositions with good silica dispersion and fuel economy, and pneumatic tires including the rubber compositions. The present invention relates to a rubber composition for tires, containing: a rubber component including 30% by mass or more of a styrene-butadiene rubber having a SiOR group wherein R represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group; a silica having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area of 210 m.sup.2/g or more in an amount of 50 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component; and at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyoxyalkylene alkenyl ether sulfate salts and polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate salts.

Disclosed herein are copolymers end-functionalized with functionalized silanes of specified structure, rubber compositions comprising the copolymer, and related processes for preparing the end-functionalized copolymer. The present disclosure also relates to tires having at least one component (e.g., a tread) containing the end-functionalized copolymer or a rubber composition thereof. The copolymer comprises 55-80% by weight of a conjugated diene monomer and 20-45% by weight of an aromatic vinyl monomer lacking any nitrogen substitution on its aromatic ring, wherein the total amount of conjugated diene monomer and aromatic vinyl monomer comprise 100% (of the total monomers in the copolymer), and the end-functionalization comprises at least one group having formula (I). ##STR00001##

Disclosed herein are copolymers end-functionalized with functionalized silanes of specified structure, rubber compositions comprising the copolymer, and related processes for preparing the end-functionalized copolymer. The present disclosure also relates to tires having at least one component (e.g., a tread) containing the end-functionalized copolymer or a rubber composition thereof. The copolymer comprises 55-80% by weight of a conjugated diene monomer and 20-45% by weight of an aromatic vinyl monomer lacking any nitrogen substitution on its aromatic ring, wherein the total amount of conjugated diene monomer and aromatic vinyl monomer comprise 100% (of the total monomers in the copolymer), and the end-functionalization comprises at least one group having formula (I). ##STR00001##

An aircraft tire comprises a tread (2), having an axial width L, which comprises a middle portion (3) having an axial width L.sub.C at least equal to 50% and at most equal to 80% of the axial width L of the tread and consisting of a middle rubber composition, and two lateral portions (41, 42), positioned axially on either side of the middle portion (3), each having an axial width (L.sub.S1, L.sub.S2) at least equal to 10% and at most equal to 25% of the axial width L of the tread and each consisting of a lateral rubber composition. The middle rubber composition comprises in particular from 25 to 85 phr of a tin-functionalized butadiene and styrene copolymer and from 15 to 75 phr of isoprene elastomer, and at least one lateral rubber composition is different from the middle rubber composition.

The present invention relates to a modified conjugated diene-based polymer, and more particularly, to a modified conjugated diene-based polymer prepared by continuous polymerization and having a specific polymer structure and molecular weight distribution degree and shape, and thus, having remarkable processability and narrow molecular weight distribution, and thus, having excellent physical properties, and a rubber composition including the same.

Disclosed is a method of: providing a solution having a solvent, a polybutadiene, and an acrylate; and functionalizing the polybutadiene with the diacrylate to produce an ionic polymer. The polymer may be useful as an additive manufacturing binder.

Disclosed is a method of: providing a solution having a solvent, a polybutadiene, and an acrylate; and functionalizing the polybutadiene with the diacrylate to produce an ionic polymer. The polymer may be useful as an additive manufacturing binder.

Disclosed herein are phosphino- and phosphate-silane functionalized polymers, methods of preparing a reactive polymer functionalized with an alkoxysilane having a phosphorous-containing group as a functionalizing reagent, the resulting polymer and vulcanizates thereof. The vulcanizates of the functionalized polymers can be used to produce vulcanized products, including tires.

Disclosed herein are phosphino- and phosphate-silane functionalized polymers, methods of preparing a reactive polymer functionalized with an alkoxysilane having a phosphorous-containing group as a functionalizing reagent, the resulting polymer and vulcanizates thereof. The vulcanizates of the functionalized polymers can be used to produce vulcanized products, including tires.

A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of preparing a reactive polymer and reacting the reactive polymer with a heterocyclic nitrile compound.