New reinforcement materials, elastomeric compositions and tyres for vehicles wheels comprising the same

1) Process for the preparation of derivatised silica (SIL-A-B) which comprises

• providing silanised silica (SIL-A)
• said silanised silica being obtainable according to a process which preferably comprises
• providing silica (C)
• providing at least one silanising agent of formula
• (R1)3Si—X (A)
• wherein
• R1, the same or different from each other, are selected from R2, OR2, OSi(OR2)3, OH, halogen and group X, provided that at least one R1 is equal to OR2, OSi(OR2)3, OH or halogen;
• R2, the same or different from each other, are selected from linear or branched alkyl with 1 to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl with 3 to 20 carbon atoms, alkylaryl with 7 to 20 carbon atoms and aryl with 6 to 20 carbon atoms;
• group X is a reactive alkenyl group selected from X1, X2 and X3, wherein
• X1
• is a group
• —R3—C(Wa) = C(R4)R4
• X2
• is a group
• —R3—C(R4) = C(Wa)R4
• X3
• is a group
• —R3—Wb—C(R4) = C(R4)R4
• wherein R3 may be absent or may be a linear or branched alkylene group with 1 to 10 carbon atoms, optionally unsaturated,
• Wa may be H or an electron-attractor group selected from COOR4, CONR4R4, NO2, CN, COR4, SO3R4, NR4R4, halogen,
• Wb is a group selected from —O—CO—, —COO—, —NR4-CO—, —CO—NR4-, —SO—, —SO2—, —CO—,
• R4, the same or different from each other, can be H or be selected from the groups R2 defined above;
• placing the silica (C), the silanising agent (A) and possibly an acid catalyst in contact, preferably in an organic solvent,
• allowing to react until the silanised silica (SIL-A) is obtained,
• separating the silanised silica (SIL-A) from the reaction medium,
• and
• placing the silanised silica (SIL-A) in contact, preferably in an organic solvent, with at least one compound of formula (B) selected from the silsesquioxanes of formula (B1), (B2), the compounds of formula (B3) and mixtures thereof,
• wherein n is an even number from 4 to 24,
• x is an integer from 3 to 23, y is an integer from 1 to 6 and x+y≤24,
• groups R, the same or different from each other, are selected from R2 and X,
• provided that at least one of groups R is a group X,
• wherein R2, R4 and X are as defined above;
• adding at least one radical initiator (D),
• allowing to react until a derivatised silica (SIL-A-B) is obtained, and
• preferably separating the derivatised silica (SIL-A-B) from the reaction medium.