A tire (1) comprises a tread (3), a crown with a crown reinforcement (2), two sidewalls (5), two beads (4), a carcass reinforcement (6) anchored to the two beads (4) and extending from one sidewall (5) to the other, the tread comprising (a) an elastomeric matrix which comprises predominantly one or more thermoplastic elastomers comprising at least one elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block, and (b) a crosslinking system based on one or more peroxides. The invention also relates to a process for preparing the retire.

High stereoregularity, highly active catalytic performance, and good hydrogen response can be obtained by homopolymerizing propylene in the presence of a catalyst that includes a solid catalyst component including titanium, magnesium, a halogen, a carbonate compound represented by the following formula, and a diether compound. Excellent polymerization behavior can also be obtained when effecting random copolymerization or block copolymerization.
R.sup.1OC(O)OZOR.sup.2(1)
wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are a hydrocarbon group or a substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or a heteroatom-containing group, provided that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are either identical or different, and Z is a linking group that links two oxygen atoms through a carbon atom or a carbon chain.

High stereoregularity, highly active catalytic performance, and good hydrogen response can be obtained by homopolymerizing propylene in the presence of a catalyst that includes a solid catalyst component including titanium, magnesium, a halogen, a carbonate compound represented by the following formula, and a diether compound. Excellent polymerization behavior can also be obtained when effecting random copolymerization or block copolymerization.
R.sup.1OC(O)OZOR.sup.2(1)
wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are a hydrocarbon group or a substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, or a heteroatom-containing group, provided that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are either identical or different, and Z is a linking group that links two oxygen atoms through a carbon atom or a carbon chain.

An object of the present invention is to provide expanded beads capable of producing an expanded beads molded article that is excellent in in-mold moldability and is excellent with good balance in lightweight property, flexibility, repulsion, restorability, and tensile characteristics, and an expanded beads molded article using the expanded beads. The expanded beads molded article of the present invention is produced by subjecting the crosslinked expanded beads of the present invention, to in-mold molding. The expanded beads molded article of the present invention may have an apparent density of from 40 to 150 g/L.

A tire has an outer sidewall, said outer sidewall comprising at least one composition comprising an elastomeric matrix which predominantly comprises by weight one or more thermoplastic elastomers comprising at least one elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block, the elastomer block(s) being saturated.

A semicrystalline multiblock copolymer includes alternating blocks of semicrystalline isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and semicrystalline polyethylene (PE), having a block arrangement according to formula (I):

(iPP.sub.w).sub.p(PE.sub.x)(iPP.sub.y).sub.m(PE.sub.z).sub.n (I),

wherein p is 0 or 1; m is 0 or 1; n is 0 or 1; the sum of p, m, and n is 1, 2, or 3; and the sum of w, x, y, and z is greater than or equal to 40 kg/mol, with the provisos that: when m and n are 0, the sum of w and x is greater than or equal to 140 kg/mol; and when p and n are 0, the sum of y and x is greater than or equal to 140 kg/mol. Related compositions and methods are also provided.

A process to form a block copolymer comprising two or more regions or segments of differentiated polymer composition or properties, including feeding a first mixture that includes a chain shuttling agent, a solvent, the one or more monomers, and optionally hydrogen into a first reactor or reactor zone, feeding a second mixture that includes at least one olefin polymerization catalyst and at least one cocatalyst into the first reactor or reactor zone, contacting the first mixture and the second mixture under polymerization conditions in the first reactor or reactor zone to form a reaction mixture that is characterized by the formation of polymer chains from the monomers, allowing polymerization to occur in the first reactor or reactor zone and/or a second reactor or reactor zone to form polymer chains that are differentiated from the polymer chains, such that the resultant polymer has two or more chemically or physically distinguishable blocks.

A process to form a block copolymer comprising two or more regions or segments of differentiated polymer composition or properties, including feeding a first mixture that includes a chain shuttling agent, a solvent, the one or more monomers, and optionally hydrogen into a first reactor or reactor zone, feeding a second mixture that includes at least one olefin polymerization catalyst and at least one cocatalyst into the first reactor or reactor zone, contacting the first mixture and the second mixture under polymerization conditions in the first reactor or reactor zone to form a reaction mixture that is characterized by the formation of polymer chains from the monomers, allowing polymerization to occur in the first reactor or reactor zone and/or a second reactor or reactor zone to form polymer chains that are differentiated from the polymer chains, such that the resultant polymer has two or more chemically or physically distinguishable blocks.

Provided herein are improved performance high vinyl block copolymer compositions. The compositions may include a block copolymer and a polyolefin. The block copolymer may have a microstructure characterized by a vinyl content of equal to or greater than about 60%. The block copolymer may be a styrenic block copolymer. The polyolefin may include a polypropylene. Additional additives may be optionally added to the composition depending on the end-use application. The compositions may find utility in the preparation of various articles such as medical products including sterilized tubing, bags, and the like, films and injection molded articles.

The invention provides a multimodal propylene butene random copolymer having a melt flow rate (MFR2) of 1.0 to 20.0 g/10 min and a butene content of 1.5 to 8.0 wt %, wherein said copolymer is prepared using a single site catalyst and wherein said copolymer comprises (i) 30 to 70 wt % of a propylene butene copolymer (A) having an MFR2 of 0.5 to 20.0 g/10 min and a butene content of 0.5 to 10.0 wt %; and (ii) 70 to 30 wt % of a propylene butene copolymer (B) having an MFR2 of 0.5 to 20.0 g/10 min and a butene content of 1.0 to 8.0 wt %; wherein copolymers (A) and (B) are different.