Prepared elastomer/reinforcing filler composite and tire having component thereof

An elastomer/filler reinforcement composite comprised of a dispersion of said filler reinforcement formed in-situ within said elastomer host prepared by a method which comprises:

• (A) blending an organic solution of a co-solvent and a phase transfer agent with an organic solution of a diene hydrocarbon based elastomer host wherein said elastomer is selected from elastomer host (1) and/or elastomer host (2);
• (B) thereafter blending therewith a filler precursor;
• (C) thereafter blending therewith at least one condensation reaction promoter to promote a condensation reaction of said filler precursor;
• (D) optionally blending therewith an organosilane prior to the completion of said condensation reaction;
• and
• (E) recovering the resulting elastomer/reinforcing filler composite;
• wherein said elastomer host is selected from
• (1) at least one of homopolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated diene with a vinyl aromatic compound, selected from styrene and alpha-methylstyrene and mixtures of such polymers and copolymers;
• and/or
• (2) at least one alkoxy metal end functionalized diene-based elastomer having a general formula (I):
• elastomer-X—(OR)n (I)
• wherein X is selected from silicon, titanium, aluminum and boron, R is selected from alkyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is 3 for silicon and titanium and is 2 for aluminum and boron, and wherein said elastomer is selected from at least one of homopolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated dienes, copolymers of conjugated diene with styrene and/or alpha-methylstyrene, and mixtures thereof;
• wherein the solvent for said elastomer is selected from at least one of heptane, toluene, hexane, cyclohexane, xylene and their mixtures and the co-solvent for said transfer agent is selected from at least one of tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane, 2-ethylfurane, furfurylaldehyde and their mixtures, wherein said phase transfer agent is of the general Formula (II) which is represented in an ionized form:
• 3
• wherein R1, R2, R3 ad R4 are alkyl radicals containing from 1 to and including 4 carbon atoms independently selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, sec-propyl, n-butyl and tert-butyl radicals, X is a radical selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, perchlorate, BF4− or PF6− radicals, and tetrabutylammonium fluoride,
• wherein said filler precursor is selected from at least one material selected from the general formulas (IIIA),(IIIB) and (IIIC):
• M(OR)x(R′)y (IIIA) (RO)x(R′)yM—O—M′(R′)z(RO)w (IIIB) (RO)x(R′)yM—(CH2)r—M′(R′)z(RO)w (IIIC)
• wherein M and M′ are the same or different and are selected from silicon, titanium, zirconium, boron and aluminum, where R and R′ are individually selected from alkyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and wherein the sum of each of x+y and w+z integers is equal to 3 or 4 depending upon the valence of the associated M or M′, as the case may be and is, therefore, 4 except when its associated M or M′ is boron or aluminum for which it is 3, and wherein r is from 1 to 15;
• wherein said organosilane is at least one material selected from formula (IV), (V) or (VI), namely:
• an organosilane polysulfide of Formula (IV) as:
• Z-R1—Sm—R1-Z (IV)
• wherein m is a number in a range of from 2 to about 8 and the average for m is in a range of
• (1) about 2 to about 2.6 or
• (2) about 3.5 to about 4.5;
• wherein Z is represented by the following formulas:
• 4
• wherein R2 is the same or different radical and is individually selected from alkyl radicals having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and phenyl radical;
• R3 is the same or different alkoxy groups wherein the alkyl radicals of the alkoxy group(s) are alkyl radicals independently selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isobutyl radicals;
• and R1 is a radical selected from substituted or unsubstituted alkyl radicals having a total of 1 to 18 carbon atoms and a substituted or unsubstituted aryl radical having a total of 6 to 12 carbon atoms;
• an alkyl alkoxy silane of Formula (V) as:
• (OR4)3—Si—R5 (V)
• where R4 may be the same or different alkyl radical selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl radicals and R5 is selected from alkyl radicals having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and aryl radicals or alkyl substituted aryl radicals having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms;
• and
• a functional organosilane of Formula (VI) as:
• (OR6)3—Si—(CH2)y—Y (VI)
• wherein R6 is the same or different alkyl radicals selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl radicals, y is an integer of from 1 to 12, and Y is selected from primary amino, mercapto, epoxide, thiocyanato, vinyl, methacrylate, ureido, isocyanato and ethylene diamine radicals.