A support assembly for a vehicle travels along a road surface and rotates relative to the road surface and the vehicle. The first support assembly includes a spherical tread layer for contacting the road surface, a foam layer adjacent the spherical tread layer, the foam layer including adjustable elements for altering an outer physical contour of the spherical tread layer, the outer physical contour contacting the road surface, a spherical wheel/tire for supporting the spherical tread layer and the vehicle, and a drive system magnetically driving rotation of the spherical wheel/tire relative to the vehicle such that no portion of the spherical tread layer physically contacts the vehicle.

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.

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##

A method of production of modified conjugated diene rubber includes causing an aromatic compound having three or more carbon atoms directly bonded to an aromatic ring in one molecule to react with an alkali metal atom so as to obtain an alkali metal-reacted aromatic compound; polymerizing a monomer at least containing a conjugated diene compound by using the alkali metal-reacted aromatic compound so as to obtain a conjugated diene rubber having an active end; causing the active end of the conjugated diene rubber having an active end to react with an activity control agent so as to obtain a conjugated diene rubber reacted with an activity control agent; and causing the active end of the conjugated diene rubber reacted with an activity control agent to react with a modifier having an alkoxy group and a halogen atom-containing group so as to obtain a modified conjugated diene rubber.

A method of production of modified conjugated diene rubber includes causing an aromatic compound having three or more carbon atoms directly bonded to an aromatic ring in one molecule to react with an alkali metal atom so as to obtain an alkali metal-reacted aromatic compound; polymerizing a monomer at least containing a conjugated diene compound by using the alkali metal-reacted aromatic compound so as to obtain a conjugated diene rubber having an active end; causing the active end of the conjugated diene rubber having an active end to react with an activity control agent so as to obtain a conjugated diene rubber reacted with an activity control agent; and causing the active end of the conjugated diene rubber reacted with an activity control agent to react with a modifier having an alkoxy group and a halogen atom-containing group so as to obtain a modified conjugated diene rubber.

A composition includes a diene rubber and a metal soap of the formula: ##STR00001##
M being a metal with an oxidation state of +3 or +4, and each R being any independently selected organic moiety including hydrogen. In addition, a method of making a rubber composition includes combining a polar solvent, a base, and a carboxylic acid and mixing these to form a Solution A. A source of metal ions in solution is added to Solution A, whereby mixing forms Product A. The metal in the source of metal ions is selected from the group consisting of metals with an oxidation state of +3 or +4. The product is isolated from Solution A and then is combined with a diene rubber composition to form a useful article, such as the tread of a tire.

A composition includes a diene rubber and a metal soap of the formula: ##STR00001##
M being a metal with an oxidation state of +3 or +4, and each R being any independently selected organic moiety including hydrogen. In addition, a method of making a rubber composition includes combining a polar solvent, a base, and a carboxylic acid and mixing these to form a Solution A. A source of metal ions in solution is added to Solution A, whereby mixing forms Product A. The metal in the source of metal ions is selected from the group consisting of metals with an oxidation state of +3 or +4. The product is isolated from Solution A and then is combined with a diene rubber composition to form a useful article, such as the tread of a tire.

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.