Silylated rubber diene polymer containing organosilane

A method of preparing a sulfur-vulcanizable rubber composition having a base of diene elastomer which has improved hysteresis properties, comprising a step of incorporating, by thermo-mechanical working, into a diene elastomer terminated at one or more termini by an alkoxysilyl radical, at least one organosilane compound of general formula I:

• Z--R.sup.1 --Si(OR.sup.2).sub.3-n --(R.sup.3).sub.n (I)
• in which:
• Z represents a primary amine functional group, a cyclic or non-cyclic secondary amine functional group, an imine functional group or a polyamine functional group;
• R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3, which are identical or different, represent an alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms;
• and n is a whole number selected from among the values of 0, 1, or 2,
• wherein said alkoxysilyl radical is distinct from said organosilane compound of general formula I, and wherein said organosilane of general formula I is present in an amount between 0.1 and 10 parts, inclusive, by weight, to 100 parts of alkoxysilyl radical terminated diene polymers;
• and a subsequent step of adding and incorporating at least one component comprising a reinforcing filler, a plasticizer, a pigment, an antioxidant, a lengthening oil, a silica coupling agent, a silica bonding agent, and/or a silica covering agent, wherein silica, if present, is an amount between 1% and 70%, inclusive, by weight, of the total reinforcing filler.

A tire having improved resistance to rolling, containing a sulfur-vulcanizable rubber composition comprising at least one diene polymer terminated at one or more termini by an alkoxysilyl radical, carbon black or a mixture of carbon black and silica as reinforcing filler, wherein said silica, if present, is present in an amount between 1% and 70%, inclusive, by weight, of the total reinforcing filler, and at least one organosilane compound comprising an amine or imine function having the general formula I:

• Z--R.sup.1 --Si(OR.sup.2).sub.3-n (R.sup.3).sub.n (I)
• in which:
• Z represents a primary amine functional group, a cyclic or non-cyclic secondary amine functional group or an imine functional group or a polyamine functional group;
• R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3, which are identical or different, represent an alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms;
• and n is a whole number selected from among the values of 0, 1, or 2, wherein the alkoxysilyl radical, with which the diene polymer is terminated is distinct from the organosilane of general formula I, and wherein said organosilane of general formula I is present in an amount between 0.1 and 10 parts, inclusive, by weight, to 100 parts of alkoxysilyl radical terminated diene polymers.

A tire tread comprising a sulfur-vulcanizable rubber composition comprising at least one diene polymer terminated at one or more termini by an alkoxysilyl radical, carbon black or a mixture of carbon black and silica as reinforcing filler, wherein said silica, if present, is present in an amount between 1% and 70% inclusive, by weight, of the total reinforcing filler, and at least one organosilane compound comprising an amine or imine functional group of a general formula I:

• Z--R.sup.1 --Si(OR.sup.2).sub.3-n (R.sup.3).sub.n (I)
• in which:
• Z represents a primary amine functional group, a cyclic or non-cyclic secondary amine functional group, or an imine functional group, or a polyamine functional group;
• R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3, which are identical or different, represent an alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms;
• and n is a whole number selected from among the values of 0, 1, or 2,
• wherein the alkoxysilyl radical, with which the diene polymer is terminated is distinct from the organosilane of general formula I, and wherein said organosilane of general formula I is present in an amount between 0.1 and 10 parts, inclusive, by weight, to 100 parts of alkoxysilyl radical terminated diene polymers.