Methods of Making Siloxy-Amine Functionalized Rubbery Polymers and Uses Thereof in Rubber Compositions for Tires

A siloxy-amine functionalized rubbery polymer comprising:

• at least one conjugated diene monomer;
• and
• a functionalized terminating agent comprised of the general formula:
• RN—(CH2)XSi(OR1)3,
• wherein R, in combination with the nitrogen (N) atom, is a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aromatic compound which includes a ring structure with one or more nitrogen atoms as part of the ring, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic non-aromatic compound which includes a ring structure with one or more nitrogen atoms as part of the ring;
• R1 represents a group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms selected from an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, an allyl, or an aryl;
• and X is an integer from 1 to 20.

A rubber compound comprising:

• 100 parts by weight of a rubbery polymer, at least 25% to 100% by weight of the rubbery polymer is a siloxy-amine functionalized rubbery polymer comprised of a functionalized terminating agent represented by the general formula:
• RN—(CH2)XSi(OR1)3,
• wherein R, in combination with the nitrogen (N) atom, is a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aromatic compound which includes a ring structure with one or more nitrogen atoms as part of the ring, or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic non-aromatic compound which includes a ring structure with one or more nitrogen atoms as part of the ring;
• R1 represents a group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms selected from an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, an allyl, or an aryl;
• and X is an integer from 1 to 20;
• and
• 10 to 130 parts by weight of a rubber reinforcing filler.