An inner liner for an elastomeric articles is provided. The inner liner contains platy mineral particles having a mean aspect ratio of less than three, where at least about 30% or more of the platy mineral particles have an aspect ratio of 2 or greater. Furthermore, an inflatable article, such as a tire, that includes an inner liner containing the platy mineral particles, is also provided.

Provided are a rubber composition having excellent overall performance in terms of fuel economy and bleed resistance as well as good LCA performance (e.g., reduction of CO.sub.2 emissions), and a tire including the composition. A rubber composition containing a plant oil satisfying the conditions (1)-(4): (1) it is liquid at 23° C.; (2) it has a GPC weight-average molecular weight of more than 800; (3) when it is 3-fold diluted with THF, it satisfies the following relationship with respect to the absorbances at 450 nm and 600 nm measured with a spectrophotometer: Absorbance at 450 nm−Absorbance at 600 nm 0.05; and (4) it satisfies the following relationship with respect to the weights before and after passing 100 g of the plant oil at 23-30° C. through 20 mesh plain weave wire cloth: (Weight after passing through plain weave wire cloth)/(Weight before passing through plain weave wire cloth)×100≥99.0.

Provided is a pneumatic tire having an innerliner member pasted on a tire inner circumferential surface, the innerliner member being constituted from an at least three-layer structure including a film having a main component of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition containing a blend of a thermoplastic resin and an elastomer, and rubber sheets layered on both sides of the film, the tire comprising a lap splice portion in which tire circumferential direction end portions of the film are overlapped via the rubber sheets. In the lap splice portion, the thickness of the film positioned at least on the tire radial direction inner side decreases toward the tip of the end portion thereof, and this tip bends toward the outer side or the inner side in the tire radial direction, and the tip is covered by the rubber sheets.

The present invention relates to self-supporting tyres for vehicle wheels having sidewall reinforcement inserts (113) with reduced rigidity. These tyres have a good mileage in flat running conditions, greater comfort and significantly reduced rolling resistance compared to known self-supporting tyres, with higher modulus sidewall reinforcement inserts.

Provided is a thermoplastic elastomer composition which does not undergo viscosity increase during melt molding, gelation and molding failure, while having excellent heat resistance and durability. A thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires, which contains (A) an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer or a modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, (B) a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer, which has a melting point of 200° C. or higher, and (C) an acid-modified elastomer in an amount of 20% by volume or more based on the amount of all polymer components. This thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires is characterized in that if this thermoplastic elastomer composition for tires is extruded at a piston speed of 5 min/min at a temperature that is higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer (B) by 20° C. in a viscosity measurement by means of a capillary rheometer, the viscosity η.sub.2 in 800 seconds after the start of the extrusion is less than 120% of the viscosity η.sub.1 in 200 seconds after the start of the extrusion.

The present invention relates to a resin composition comprising: a base resin comprising a petroleum resin of which at least a part is hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated; and an additive comprising a modified C.sub.9 polymer having a structure in which a molecular weight modifier binds to at least one terminal of the two terminals of the petroleum resin of which at least a part is hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated. The present invention also relates to a gas barrier film comprising the resin composition, and a tire.

In the pneumatic tire including a sealant layer containing an adhesive sealant on an inner surface of a tread portion, when a thickness of the sealant layer at 0° C. is G.sub.0, a thickness of the sealant layer at 50° C. is G.sub.50, a width of the sealant layer at 0° C. is W.sub.0, and a width of the sealant layer at 50° C. is W.sub.50, a rate of change R.sub.G of thickness expressed by R.sub.G=(|G.sub.50−G.sub.0|/G.sub.0)×100 is set to 3% or less, and a rate of change R.sub.W of width expressed by R.sub.W=(|W.sub.50−W.sub.0|/W.sub.0)×100 is set to 3% or less.

Methods for treating a cured inner liner as well as treated, cured inner liners resulting from such methods are disclosed. Also disclosed are tires containing the treated inner liners. The methods include treatment of the lower surface of inner liner surface with a rubber-containing liquid to produce a rubber-containing film thereupon.

Processes for producing a sealant layer-tire inner liner combination as well as a sealant layer-containing tire and related processes involving the sealant layer-containing tire are disclosed. The sealant layer is adhered to the tire inner liner, has a thickness of 2-8 mm and comprises 100 parts of at least one rubber, 90-500 phr of at least one tackifier, optionally one or more extenders, optionally at least one hydroscopic substance, and a cure package.

The invention relates to an assembly for a tyre comprising a first fabric, a second fabric and a load-bearing structure comprising filamentary load-bearing elements made of heat-shrinkable textile material connecting the first fabric to the second fabric, the load-bearing filamentary elements exhibit a thermal contraction CT, measured after 2 min at 185° C., greater than or equal to 5%.