Method for obtaining a rubber composition including a thermoplastic filler

A process for preparing a rubber composition usable in manufacturing tyres, the composition being based on one or more diene elastomers, one or more reinforcing fillers, and a crosslinking system, the composition including particles of one or more thermoplastic materials chosen from amorphous thermoplastic materials and semicrystalline thermoplastic materials, with a glass transition temperature of the one or more amorphous thermoplastic materials and a melting point of the one or more semicrystalline thermoplastic materials varying from 80° C. to 300° C., and with the particles exhibiting a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm, the process comprising:

• incorporating in at least one diene elastomer, during a non-productive stage, at least one reinforcing filler to form a first mixture, and thermomechanically kneading the first mixture in one or more goes until a maximum temperature of between 130° C. and 200° C. is reached;
• cooling the first mixture to a temperature of less than 60° C.;
• subsequently incorporating in the first mixture, during a productive stage, a crosslinking system, particles of at least one amorphous thermoplastic material having a glass transition temperature of less than 200° C., and particles of at least one semicrystalline thermoplastic material having a melting point less than 200° C. to form a combined mixture;
• and
• kneading the combined mixture up to a maximum temperature of less than 80° C.,
• wherein particles of at least one amorphous thermoplastic material having a glass transition temperature greater than or equal to 200° C. and particles of at least one semicrystalline thermoplastic material having a melting point greater than or equal to 200° C. are introduced during the non-productive stage or during the productive stage or during both the non-productive stage and the productive stage.