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AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorsEdward John Blok, Mark Leslie Kralevich, Jr., Paul Harry Sandstrom, Wen-Liang Hsu, Adel Farhan Halasa
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The subject invention discloses a liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber (IBR) which is particularly valuable for use in making treads for high performance automobile tires, including race tires, that exhibit superior dry traction characteristics and durability. The isoprene-butadiene rubber of this invention is a liquid at room temperature and is comprised of repeat units which are derived from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent isoprene and from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent 1,3-butadiene, wherein the repeat units derived from isoprene and 1,3-butadiene are in essentially random order. The IBR of this invention also has a low number average molecular weight which is within the range of about 3,000 to about 50,000 and has a glass transition temperature which is within the range of about −50° C. to about 20° C. This invention more specifically discloses a tire tread compound which is comprised of (a) a rubbery elastomer, (b) about 20 phr to about 80 phr of an aromatic process oil, (c) about 35 phr to about 130 phr of a filler and (d) about 4 phr to about 40 phr of a liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber having a number average molecular weight which is within the range of about 3,000 to about 50,000 and a glass transition temperature which is within the range of about −50° C. to about 20° C.
A liquid isoprene-butadiene polymer which consists essentially of repeat units which are derived from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent isoprene and from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent 1,3-butadiene, wherein the repeat units derived from isoprene and 1,3-butadiene are in essentially random order, wherein the liquid isoprene-butadiene polymer has a low number average molecular weight which is within the range of about 3,000 to about 50,000, and wherein the liquid isoprene-butadiene polymer has a glass transition temperature which is within the range of about −50° C. to about 20° C.
A tire tread compound which is comprised of (a) a rubbery elastomer, (b) about 20 phr to about 80 phr of an aromatic process oil, (c) about 35 phr to about 130 phr of a filler and (d) about 4 phr to about 40 phr of a liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber which consists essentially of repeat units which are derived from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent isoprene and from about 5 weight percent to about 95 weight percent 1,3-butadiene, wherein said liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of about 3,000 to about 50,000, wherein the repeat units derived from isoprene and 1,3-butadiene in the liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber are in essentially random order, and wherein the liquid isoprene-butadiene rubber has a glass transition temperature which is within the range of about −50° C. to about 20° C.
A tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead and sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.