Silica reinforced rubber composition prepared with pre-treated silica article of manufacture, including a tire, having at least one component comprised of such rubber composition

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

• (A) 100 parts by weight of at least one diene-based elastomer,
• (B) about 25 to about 100 phr of particulate reinforcing filler comprised of
• (1) about 25 to about 100 phr of a preformed hydrophobated silica composite of synthetic amorphous silica aggregates and coupling agent and, correspondingly,
• (2) from zero to about 75 phr of carbon black;
• wherein said synthetic amorphous silica aggregates for said preformed silica composite are of a precipitated silica and contain hydroxyl groups on their surface;
• and
• (C) said coupling agent for said preformed silica composite is selected from at least one of the group consisting of:
• (1) carboxymaleimidophenyl ester,
• (2) disodium salt of 2,2′dithiosalicylic acid,
• (3) bis-succinimide polysulfide,
• (4) 2-benzothiazyl-3-(propane-1,2-diol),
• (5) o-salicylsalicylic acid,
• (6) pyrazine amide,
• (7) 3,3′-tetrathiodipropanol,
• (8) hydroxyethyl-phenoxyacetic acid,
• (9) 3,3′tetrathiodipropionamide,
• (10) poly-(2-propanol-1,3-polysulfide),
• (11) 3,3′-tetrathiodipropionitrile,
• (12) nicotinamide,
• (13) zinc and sodium salts of salicylic acid,
• (14) diaminodirosinate salts, and
• (15) bisaniline PD bismaleimide,
• wherein said preformed hydrophobated silica composite is prepared prior to being mixed with said elastomer, and wherein said pre-formed silica composite is prepared by pre-reacting said coupling agent with
• (1) said synthetic amorphous silica aggregates, or
• (2) an aqueous dispersion of colloidal silica particles from which the precipitated silica is recovered to form said pre-formed silica composite, wherein said preformed silica composite is hydrophobated by:
• A. reacting said preformed silica composite with an alkylsilane of general formula (I):
• Xn—Si—R4−n (I)
• wherein X is a radical selected from the group consisting of alkoxy radicals having from 1 through 3 carbon atoms, chlorine radicals and bromine radicals;
• R is an alkyl radical having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• and n is an integer of 1 through 3, or by
• B. reacting said precipitated silica with a combination of said coupling agent and said alkylsilane of said general formula (I).