Optionally soot-reinforced, vulcanizable composition, pneumatic tire with a tread fabricated therefrom, method for the preparation of such a composition, as well as a molded article, such as all of these, and of the same form.

摘要

Rubbery high trans-high vinyl diblock copolymers, blends of rubbery high trans copolymers and rubbery high vinyl polymers, and mixtures (alloys or blends) of said diblock copolymers, high trans copolymers and high vinyl polymers are useful in producing tire treads exhibiting good processibility, good rolling resistance, skid resistance and abrasion resistance. The high trans block or copolymer comprises a copolymer of butadiene-1,3 and styrene and/or isoprene and the high vinyl block or polymer comprises polybutadiene or copolymers of butadiene and styrene and/or isoprene. These di-block copolymers, copolymers and polymers are made by solution polymerization. The diblock copolymer may be made by copolymerizing butadiene and styrene and/or isoprene using a Ba, Ca or Sr alcoholate, R2Mg and R3Al to from about 60 to 95% conversion to a high trans block and then adding (optionally more Bd with or without Sty and/or isoprene) a strong Lewis base and a Na, K or Rb alkoxide and continuing the polymerization to completion to obtain the high vinyl block of the di-block copolymer.