# US 2014/0155544 A1 · Tire with component comprised of rubber composition containing silica and graphene platelet reinforcement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155544 A1 - Document ID: US20140155544A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,143 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company - Applicants: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company - Inventors: Ling Du; Xiaoping Yang; Carl Trevor Ross Pulford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155544A1 ## CPC - C08K 3/36: Silica - B60C 1/00: Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition - C08K 3/04: Carbon - C08K 5/5477: {containing nitrogen in a heterocyclic ring} - C08L 9/00: Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons - C08L 9/06: Copolymers with styrene - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - C08K 2201/011: Nanostructured additives - C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09) - B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES ## Abstract This invention relates to a rubber composition comprised of diene-based elastomer, precipitated silica and nano-scale exfoliated graphene platelets. A tire is provided having a component comprised of such rubber composition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rubber composition which comprises, based upon parts by weight per 100 parts by weight rubber (phr): (A) 100 phr of at least one diene-based elastomer, (B) about 20 to about 120 phr of at least one reinforcing filler, comprised of (1) precipitated silica or a combination of rubber reinforcing carbon black and precipitated silica (synthetic amorphous silica containing hydroxyl groups), together with a silica coupler for said precipitated silica having a moiety reactive with hydroxyl groups on said precipitated silica and another different moiety interactive with said diene-based elastomer(s), and (2) about 0.5 to about 30 phr of exfoliated graphene platelets having an average thickness in a range of from about 1 nm to about 5 nm and an average lateral dimension in a range of from about 0.1 to about 100 micrometers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein said exfoliated graphene platelets are nano-sized graphene platelets having an average lateral dimension in a range of from about 0.1 to about 1 micrometers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein exfoliated graphene platelets have an average lateral dimension in a range of from about 5 to about 100 micrometers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein the graphene platelets are coupled to said diene-based elastomers(s) with a graphene coupling agent comprised of a moiety containing pi electrons and another different moiety comprised of a polysulfide containing an average of 2 to 4 connecting sulfur atoms. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein the graphene platelets are combined with said diene-based elastomers(s) with a graphene coupling agent comprised of a moiety containing pi electrons and another different moiety containing carbon-to-carbon double bonds available to sulfur co-cure with said diene-based elastomer(s). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The rubber composition of claim 4 wherein said graphene coupling agent contains a polymeric backbone comprised of a low molecular weight polyaryleneethynylene containing pi electrons and having an end group which contains at least one polysulfide wherein said polysulfide contains an average of from about 2 to about 4 connecting sulfur atoms. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The rubber composition of claim 4 wherein said graphene coupling agent is of a general chemical structure (1): where A is a polymeric backbone comprised of a polyaryleneethynylene containing pi electrons, B represents optional side chains attached to the coupling agent polymeric backbone A comprised of at least one alkane hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms and C represents at least one polysulfidic moiety attached to the coupler backbone A wherein said polysulfide moiety(ies) is(are) are represented by Sx, where x is an average value in a range of from about 2 to about 4. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The rubber composition of claim 4 wherein said graphene coupling agent is of a general chemical structure (2): D-E (2) wherein D represents a pyrene structure containing a pi electron configuration and E represents at least one polysulfidic moiety, said polysulfide moiety(ies) containing an average of from 2 to 4 connecting sulfur atoms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The rubber composition of claim 5 wherein said graphene coupling agent is of a chemical structure (3): D-F (3) wherein D represents a pyrene structure containing a pi electron network and F represents a branched alkene containing carbon-to-carbon double bonds capable of sulfur co-curing with said diene-based elastomer(s). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The rubber composition of claim 9 wherein said general formula (3) is: where R1 and R2 are the same or different alkene or alkyl groups. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The rubber composition of claim 5 wherein said graphene coupling agent is comprised of 1-pyrenemethyl methacrylate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing filler is comprised of said precipitated silica, together with said silica coupling agent, and nano-sized exfoliated graphene platelets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein said diene-based elastomer is comprised of at least one polymer of at least one monomer selected from isoprene and 1,3-butadiene and from styrene copolymerized with at least one of isoprene and 1,3-butadiene. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein said diene-based rubber is natural cis 1,4-polyisoprene rubber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The rubber composition of claim 14 wherein said natural cis1,4-polyisoprene rubber a coagulated natural rubber latex containing said nano-sized graphene platelets co-coagulated with said natural rubber latex. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein at least one of said diene-based elastomer(s) is least one of tin coupled organic solution polymerization prepared styrene/butadiene co-polymers, isoprene/butadiene copolymers, styrene/isoprene copolymers, polybutadiene and styrene/isoprene/butadiene terpolymers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The rubber composition of claim 1 wherein said diene-based elastomer contains at least one functional group reactive with hydroxyl groups on a precipitated silica wherein said functional group is comprised of at least one of siloxy, amine and imine groups. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A tire having at least one component comprised of the rubber composition of claim 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) A tire having at least one component comprised of the rubber composition of claim 2. ### Claim 20 (depends on 4) A tire having at least one component comprised of the rubber composition of claim 4.