Rubber composition comprising a thermoplastic filler and compatibilizer

1. A rubber composition for manufacturing tires, the rubber composition comprising:

one or more diene elastomers;

one or more reinforcing fillers;

a crosslinking system;

polystyrene particles, where the particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm; and

one or more compatibilizing agents chosen from block copolymers that include at least one diene elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles,

wherein the one or more compatibilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of styrene/butadiene diblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene diblock copolymers, styrene/butadiene/styrene triblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene/styrene triblock copolymers, and blends thereof.

2. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polystyrene particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than 100 μm.

3. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polystyrene particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of between 50 and 100 μm.

4. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polystyrene particles are present at a content of less than 100 phr.

5. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the polystyrene particles are present at a content of from 10 to 70 phr.

6. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more diene elastomers is selected from the group consisting of polybutadienes, natural rubber, synthetic polyisoprenes, butadiene copolymers, isoprene copolymers, and mixtures thereof.

7. The rubber composition according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more diene elastomers is a butadiene/styrene copolymer.

8. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein a sum of a volume of the particles and a volume of the at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles is less than or equal to 45% of a total volume of the composition.

9. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein a volume ratio of the polystyrene particles to the one or more compatibilizing agents is greater than or equal to 0.05.

10. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more reinforcing fillers is selected from the group consisting of silica, carbon black, and mixtures thereof.

11. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more reinforcing fillers is or are present at a content of between 20 and 200 phr.

12. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more reinforcing fillers is or are present at a content of between 30 and 150 phr.

13. A finished or semifinished article for a motor vehicle ground-contact system, the finished or semifinished article comprising a rubber composition that includes:

one or more diene elastomers,

one or more reinforcing fillers,

a crosslinking system,

polystyrene particles, where the particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm; and

one or more compatibilizing agents chosen from block copolymers that include at least one diene elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles,

wherein the one or more compatibilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of styrene/butadiene diblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene diblock copolymers, styrene/butadiene/styrene triblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene/styrene triblock copolymers, and blends thereof.

14. A tire comprising a rubber composition that includes:

one or more diene elastomers,

one or more reinforcing fillers,

a crosslinking system,

polystyrene particles, where the particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm; and

one or more compatibilizing agents chosen from block copolymers that include at least one diene elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles,

wherein the one or more compatibilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of styrene/butadiene diblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene diblock copolymers, styrene/butadiene/styrene triblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene/styrene triblock copolymers, and blends thereof.

15. A process for manufacturing an article for a motor vehicle ground-contact system, the process comprising:

obtaining a rubber composition that includes:

one or more diene elastomers,

one or more reinforcing fillers,

a crosslinking system,

polystyrene particles, where the particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm; and

one or more compatibilizing agents chosen from block copolymers that include at least one diene elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles,

wherein the one or more compatibilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of styrene/butadiene diblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene diblock copolymers, styrene/butadiene/styrene triblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene/styrene triblock copolymers, and blends thereof; and

using the rubber composition to produce a finished or semifinished article for the motor vehicle ground-contact system.

16. A process for manufacturing a rubber composition that includes one or more diene elastomers, one or more reinforcing fillers, a crosslinking system, polystyrene particles with melting point T M1 , where the particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm and one or more compatibilizing agents with melting or softening points T M2 chosen from block copolymers that include at least one diene elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles, the process comprising steps of:

incorporating in the one or more diene elastomer, during a non-productive stage, the polystyrene particles, the one or more compatibilizing agents, and the one or more reinforcing fillers to form a mixture, the mixture being thermomechanically kneaded until a maximum temperature greater than a higher of T M1 and T M2 ,

cooling the mixture to a temperature of less than 100° C.;

subsequently incorporating, during a productive stage, the crosslinking system to form a final mixture; and

subsequently kneading the final mixture to a maximum temperature of less than 120° C.,

wherein the one or more compatibilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of styrene/butadiene diblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene diblock copolymers, styrene/butadiene/styrene triblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene/styrene triblock copolymers, and blends thereof.

17. A process for manufacturing a rubber composition that includes one or more diene elastomers, one or more reinforcing fillers, a crosslinking system, polystyrene particles with melting point T M1 , where the particles exhibit a volume-average diameter of less than or equal to 200 μm and one or more compatibilizing agents with melting or softening points T M2 chosen from block copolymers that include at least one diene elastomer block and at least one thermoplastic block compatible with the polystyrene particles, the process comprising steps of:

forming a masterbatch including the polystyrene particles and the one or more compatibilizing agents;

incorporating in the one or more diene elastomer, during a non-productive stage, the masterbatch and the one or more reinforcing fillers to form a mixture, the mixture being thermo-mechanically kneaded until a maximum temperature greater than a melting or softening point T M of the masterbatch;

cooling the mixture to a temperature of less than 100° C.;

subsequently incorporating, during a productive stage, the crosslinking system to form a final mixture; and

subsequently kneading the final mixture to a maximum temperature of less than 120° C.,

wherein the one or more compatibilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of styrene/butadiene diblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene diblock copolymers, styrene/butadiene/styrene triblock copolymers, styrene/isoprene/styrene triblock copolymers, and blends thereof.