Rubber containing starch reinforcement and tire having component thereof

A tire having at least one component of a rubber composition which comprises

• (A) 100 parts by weight of at least one diene-based elastomer,
• (B) about 2.5 to about 90 phr of at least one elastomer reinforcing filler composed of
• (1) about 5 to about 70 phr of at least one starch-based material selected from at least one of starch, starch/plasticizer composite and modified starch, wherein said modified starch is selected from at least one of hydroxyethylated starch, oxidized starch and acid modified starch, and
• 2) zero to about 90 phr of
• (a) carbon black and amorphous silica, or
• (b) carbon black or amorphous silica,
• (C) optionally a coupling agent for said starch-based material and silica, if silica is used, where said coupler has a moiety reactive with the surface of said starch composite and the surface of said silica, as the case may be, and a moiety interactive with the said elastomer, and
• (D) at least one methylene acceptor compound and/or methylene donor compound exclusive of hexamethylene tetramine;
• wherein said methylene acceptor compound is selected from at least one of phenolic cashew nut oil resin, resorcinol monobenzoate and polyhydric phenoxy resin;
• and
• wherein said methylene donor compound is selected from at least one of hexamethoxymethylmelamine, hexaethoxymethylmelamine and ethoxymethylpyridinium chloride, N,N′,N″-trimethylolmelamine, N-methylolmelamine and N′,N″-dimethylolmelamine.