In the tire industry, rubber compositions are engineered to have a balance of properties; for example, tensile strength, tear resistance, rolling resistance, traction, and handling. Typically, modifying a composition to improve one or more of these qualities makes it difficult to maintain at least one other quality. While improvement in such qualities as traction, tensile strength, and tear resitance is highly desirable, maintaining low rolling resistance is also highly important, particularly with the increasing prices of fuel and other concerns in recent years. Thus, additives that improve the traction and/or tensile strength and tear resistance characteristics of tires and that also maintain a comparable low level of rolling resistance are highly desirable.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds