Tire having colored tread

Details Tire having colored tread Tire having colored tread

2001-02-01

2003-02-04

Cain, Edward J. (Department: 1714)

Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser

Synthetic resins

At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...

C524S492000, C524S115000, C524S127000, C524S128000, C524S143000, C525S333400, C525S333500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06515063

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tire having a rubber tread of a lug and groove configuration and which may be of a co-extruded cap/base construction; wherein at least a part of the visible portion of the tread is exclusive of carbon black and thereby of a color other than black. Such non-black colored rubber includes the outer surface of at least one of said tread lugs intended to be ground-contacting. In one aspect of the invention, said non-black colored rubber composition contains
(A) a precipitated silica reinforcement which has been pre-treated with a hydrophobation agent and optionally also pre-treated with a coupling agent or
(B) a precipitated silica which has been pre-treated with a hydrophobating agent and a coupling agent which does not from an alcohol byproduct upon reacting with hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) contained on the surface of said precipitated silica. In another aspect of the invention, said non-black colored rubber composition is comprised of at least one diene based elastomer and a brominated poly(isobutylene-co-para-methylstyrene) where a coupling agent for said silica is an organo phosphite.
BACKGROUND FOR THE INVENTION
Tires are typically provided with its various components as various rubber compositions which contain carbon black reinforcement and which are therefore black in color.
Most tires have a tread of a lug and groove configuration, of which many tires are of a cap/base construction of for which the rubber tread cap contains the lug and groove configuration wherein the outer surfaces of the lugs are designed to be ground-contacting and for which the rubber tread base underlies the tread cap. Such cap/base tire construction and such tread lug and groove configuration are well known to those having skill in such art.
However, it remains desirable for some purposes to provide a tire with a tread of which at least a portion is of a non-black color so that the resulting tread is of a non-black color of a multiplicity of colors.
For purposes of this invention, it is intended to provide a black colored tread of lug and groove configuration which is further configured with at least a portion of the visible surface of said tread is of a non-black color, preferably a color which contrasts with black. Thus the visible portion of the tire tread is of at least two different visible colors which may be black and at least one additional color.
It is appreciated that it is also desired to provide a tire with a tread with appropriate wear and traction characteristics and it is often difficult to provide a tire tread with segments of differing rubber compositions, as would be utilized in a case of a tire tread with road-contacting segments of contrasting colors, which have the same or very similar wear and traction. For example, see PTC patent application WO 99/01299.
Also, historically, a typical example of a component of a tire having a color which contrasts with the conventional black color of the tire is a tire sidewall in which a portion of the rubber is white in color resulting from a blend of rubber and titanium dioxide pigment in the absence of, or exclusive of, particulate carbon black reinforcement. Indeed, tires with white colored portions of their sidewalls are well known.
However, for tire treads, it is also appreciated that coloring pigments such as titanium dioxide, by itself, does not provide significant rubber reinforcement equivalent to rubber reinforcing carbon black. Therefore, such white colored tire components are conventionally limited to rubber compositions which do not need such a high degree of reinforcement such as for example, outer, visible, portions of tire sidewalls.
It is also appreciated that many non-black colored rubber composition for tire components, particularly white sidewall components have a tendency to discolor as a result of various discoloring chemicals which may be contained in various rubber compositions which are adjacent to the colored rubber composition. Accordingly, it is a common practice to use substitute non-discoloring chemicals for discoloring chemicals in such adjacent rubber compositions such as for example, non-discoloring antidegradants and non-discoloring rubber processing oils. Such practice is well known in the tire white sidewall art.
In the description of this invention, the terms “rubber” and “elastomer” if used herein, may be used interchangeably, unless otherwise prescribed. The terms “rubber composition”, “compounded rubber” and “rubber compound”, if used herein, are used interchangeably to refer to “rubber which has been blended or mixed with various ingredients and materials” and such terms are well known to those having skill in the rubber mixing or rubber compounding art.
In the description of this invention, the term “phr” refers to parts of a respective material per 100 parts by weight of rubber, or elastomer. The terms “rubber” and “elastomer” may be used interchangeably unless otherwise indicate. The terms “cure” and “vulcanize” may be used interchangeably unless otherwise indicated.
SUMMARY AND PRACTICE OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, a tire having a tread comprised of at least one non-black colored, exclusive of carbon black, rubber composition, wherein said tread is of a co-extruded cap/base construction; wherein said tread cap is configured with lugs and grooves; wherein said tread cap is comprised of said non-black colored rubber composition comprised of, based upon parts by weight per 100 parts by weight elastomer(s), (phr):
(A) 100 phr of elastomer comprised of
(1) about 5 to about 80, alternately about 10 to about 50, phr of a halogenated copolymer of isobutylene and p-methyl styrene, wherein said halogen is selected from bromine or iodine, preferably bromine,
(2) about 20 to about 95, alternately about 50 to about 90, phr of at least one diene-based elastomer and
(B) about 25 to about 100, optionally about 35 to about 90, phr of particulate reinforcing filler comprised of synthetic amorphous silica aggregates, wherein said silica aggregates contain hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) on their surface; and
(C) about 0.5 to about 25, preferably about 1 to about 15, phr of at least one organo phosphite selected from monophosphites selected from formula (I) and diphosphites selected from formula (II) and diisodecyl pentearythritol diphosphite, distearyl pentaerythritol diphosphite and pentearythritol diphosphite, preferably monophosphites of formula (I):
 ((OR
4
)
2
—P—O—R
5
)
2
—R
6
  (II)
wherein each R
4
radical is independently selected from alkyl radicals and phenyl radicals and alkyl substituted phenyl radicals; wherein said R
4
alkyl radicals have from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein R
5
is a phenyl radical; and wherein R
6
is selected from alkyl radicals having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
wherein said organo phosphite is preferably the organo phosphite of formula (I)
wherein said organo phosphite is provided by one or more of the following:
(a) by mixing said organo phosphite with said elastomer(s) and said synthetic silica in an internal rubber mixer,
(b) by pre-reacting said halogenated copolymer of isobutylene and p-methyl styrene with said organo phosphite prior to blending said reinforcing filler therewith,
(c) by pre-reacting said organo phosphite with an aqueous dispersion of colloidal silica particles from which a precipitated silica is recovered to form an organo phosphite/silica composite thereof,
(d) mixing said organo phosphite with said elastomer(s) and said synthetic silica, preferably in an internal rubber mixer, according to any of said steps (a), (b) or (c), wherein said synthetic silica includes pre-hydrophobated silica aggregates which have been pre-hydrophobated prior to mixing with said elastomers with an alkylsilane of formula (III),
(e) mixing said organo phosphite with said elastomer(s) and an alkylsilane of the said Formula (III) with said elastomer(s) and said synthetic silica, preferably in an internal rubber mixer, and
(f) by pre-reacting said organo phosphite and said a

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Tire having colored tread does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Tire having colored tread, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tire having colored tread will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3152337