Tread compositions with improved dynamic storage modulus

Abstract

A tire component comprising a rubber vulcanizate including one or more functional groups, where said one or more functional groups reduce the 50° C. hysteresis loss of the vulcanizate when compared to similar vulcanizates without the functional group, and a carbon black filler, where said carbon black filler includes (i) a first carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is greater than 60 g/kg, and (ii) a second carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is less than 60 g/kg.

1 . A tire component comprising: 
 a rubber vulcanizate including one or more functional groups, where said one or more functional groups reduce the 50° C. hysteresis loss of the vulcanizate when compared to similar vulcanizates without the functional group; and    a carbon black filler, where said carbon black filler includes (i) a first carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is greater than 60 g/kg, and (ii) a second carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is less than 60 g/kg.    
     
     
         2 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where the one or more functional groups reduce the 50° C. hysteresis loss by at least 5% when compared to similar vulcanizates without the functional group.  
     
     
         3 . The tire component ad of  claim 2 , where the one or more functional groups reduce the 50° C. hysteresis loss by at least 10% when compared to similar vulcanizates without the functional group.  
     
     
         4 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said functional group includes a heteroatom.  
     
     
         5 . The tire component of  claim 4 , where said functional group includes a tin-containing, a nitrogen-containing, a carbonyl-containing, a boron-containing, a phosphorous-containing, sulfur-containing, or oxygen-containing group.  
     
     
         6 . The tire component of  claim 5 , where tire component is a tire tread.  
     
     
         7 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said first carbon black is characterized by an iodine adsorption number that is greater than 70 g/kg.  
     
     
         8 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said first carbon black is characterized by an iodine adsorption number that is greater than 80 g/kg.  
     
     
         9 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said second carbon black is characterized by an iodine adsorption number that is less than 55 g/kg.  
     
     
         10 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said second carbon black is characterized by an iodine adsorption number that is less than 40 g/kg.  
     
     
         11 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where the iodine adsorption number of said first carbon black and the iodine adsorption number of said second carbon black differ by at least 25 g/kg.  
     
     
         12 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where the iodine adsorption number of said first carbon black and the iodine adsorption number of said second carbon black differ by at least 50 g/kg.  
     
     
         13 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where the tire includes from about 1 to about 100 parts by weight carbon black per 100 parts by weight rubber.  
     
     
         14 . The tire component of  claim 17 , where the carbon black includes greater than 50 percent by weight of said first carbon black, with the balance including said second carbon black.  
     
     
         15 . The tire component of  claim 17 , where the carbon black includes at least 60 parts by weight of said first carbon black and less than 40 parts by weight of said second carbon black, based upon the total weight of the carbon black filler.  
     
     
         16 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said vulcanizate includes a cured polymer of butadiene and optionally comonomers.  
     
     
         17 . The tire component of  claim 1 , where said vulcanizate is formed by vulcanizing a rubber mixture, where the rubber mixture includes an unsaturated polymer bearing said one or more functional groups and optionally unsaturated polymer without a functional group.  
     
     
         18 . A tire component comprising: 
 a rubber vulcanizate including one or more functional groups, where said one or more functional groups reduce the 50° C. hysteresis loss of the vulcanizate when compared to similar vulcnaizates without the functional group;    a carbon black filler, where said carbon black filler includes (i) a first carbon black selected from N-300 series or lower carbon blacks, and (ii) a second carbon black selected from N-400 series or higher carbon blacks, per ASTM D1765.    
     
     
         19 . The tire component of  claim 18 , where said N-300 series or lower is selected form the group consisting of the group consisting of N-100 series, N-200 series, and N-300 series carbon black, and where said N-400 series or higher is selected from the group consisting of N-400 series or higher, N-500 series, and N-600 series carbon black.  
     
     
         20 . A tire component comprising: 
 a rubber vulcanizate; and    a carbon black filler, dispersed in said rubber vulcanizate, where said carbon black filler includes (i) a first carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is greater than 60 g/kg and less than 110 g/kg, and (ii) a second carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is less than 60 g/kg.