BRONZED METAL REINFORCING ELEMENT RENDERED ADHESIVE BY AN ADHESIVE COMPOSITION CONTAINING AROMATIC ALDEHYDE AND POLYPHENOL

1 .- 17 . (canceled)

18 . A coated steel reinforcing element comprising:

one or more threadlike reinforcing elements, each comprising a steel core;

a layer of a coating of a copper-tin alloy coating at least a portion of the steel core of the or each threadlike reinforcing element; and

an adhesive layer coating at least a portion of the layer of the coating of copper-tin alloy of the or each threadlike reinforcing element, the adhesive layer comprising an adhesive composition comprising at least one phenol/aldehyde resin based on at least:

one aromatic aldehyde bearing at least one aldehyde functional group and comprising at least one aromatic nucleus; and

one polyphenol comprising one or more aromatic nucleus/nuclei,

wherein, if there is only one aromatic nucleus, the one aromatic nucleus bears two or three hydroxyl functional groups in the meta position with respect to each other or with respect to one another, the remainder of the aromatic nucleus being unsubstituted, and

wherein, if there is more than one aromatic nuclei, at least two of them each bear two or three hydroxyl functional groups in the meta position with respect to each other or with respect to one another and the two positions ortho to at least one of these hydroxyl functional groups are unsubstituted.

19 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the adhesive layer directly coats at least a portion of the layer of the coating of copper-tin alloy of the or each threadlike reinforcing element.

20 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the adhesive layer directly coats a nonmetallic intermediate adhesion layer directly coating at least a portion of the layer of the coating of copper-tin alloy of the or each threadlike reinforcing element.

21 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the aromatic aldehyde bears at least two aldehyde functional groups.

22 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one aromatic nucleus of the aromatic aldehyde bears two aldehyde functional groups.

23 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one aromatic nucleus of the aromatic aldehyde is a benzene nucleus.

24 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 23 , wherein the aromatic aldehyde is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-benzenedicarboxaldehyde, 1,3-benzenedicarboxaldehyde, 1,4-benzenedicarboxaldehyde, 2-hydroxybenzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde and mixtures thereof.

25 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 24 , wherein the aromatic aldehyde is 1,4-benzenedicarboxaldehyde.

26 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the aldehyde is of general formula (A):

in which X comprises N, S or O, and R represents —H or —CHO.

27 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 26 , wherein the aromatic aldehyde is selected from the group consisting of furfuraldehyde, 2,5-furandicarboxaldehyde and mixtures thereof.

28 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the polyphenol is selected from the group consisting of phloroglucinol, 2,2′,4,4′-tetrahydroxydiphenyl sulphide and mixtures thereof.

29 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 , wherein the adhesive composition comprises an unsaturated elastomer latex.

30 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 29 , wherein the unsaturated elastomer of the latex is a diene elastomer.

31 . The coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 30 , wherein the diene elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polybutadienes, butadiene copolymers, polyisoprenes, isoprene copolymers, vinylpyridine/styrene/butadiene terpolymers and mixtures thereof.

32 . A process for the manufacture of a coated steel reinforcing element comprising one or more threadlike reinforcing elements, each comprising a steel core, a layer of a coating of a copper-tin alloy coating at least a portion of the steel core of the or each threadlike reinforcing element, and an adhesive layer coating at least a portion of the layer of the coating of copper-tin alloy of the or each threadlike reinforcing element, said process comprising the step of:

coating at least a portion of the layer of the coating of copper-tin alloy of the or each threadlike reinforcing element with the adhesive layer comprising an adhesive composition comprising at least one phenol/aldehyde resin based on at least:

one aromatic aldehyde bearing at least one aldehyde functional group and comprising at least one aromatic nucleus; and

one polyphenol comprising one or more aromatic nucleus/nuclei,

wherein, if there is only one aromatic nucleus, the one aromatic nucleus bears two or three hydroxyl functional groups in the meta position with respect to each other or with respect to one another, the remainder of the aromatic nucleus being unsubstituted, and

wherein, if there is more than one aromatic nuclei, at least two of them each bear two or three hydroxyl functional groups in the meta position with respect to each other or with respect to one another and the two positions ortho to at least one of these hydroxyl functional groups are unsubstituted.

33 . A method of adhering a steel reinforcing element to a rubber matrix comprising the step of:

using an adhesive composition to form an adhesive layer coating at least a portion of a layer of a coating of a copper-tin alloy coating at least a portion of each steel core of one or more threadlike reinforcing elements, the adhesive composition comprising at least one phenol/aldehyde resin based on at least:

one aromatic aldehyde bearing at least one aldehyde functional group and comprising at least one aromatic nucleus; and

one polyphenol comprising one or more aromatic nucleus/nuclei,

wherein, if there is only one aromatic nucleus, the one aromatic nucleus bears two or three hydroxyl functional groups in the meta position with respect to each other or with respect to one another, the remainder of the aromatic nucleus being unsubstituted, and

wherein, if there is more than one aromatic nuclei, at least two of them each bear two or three hydroxyl functional groups in the meta position with respect to each other or with respect to one another and the two positions ortho to at least one of these hydroxyl functional groups are unsubstituted.

34 . A rubber composite reinforced with at least one coated steel reinforcing element comprising a rubber matrix in which the coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 is embedded.

35 . A tire comprising at least one coated steel reinforcing element according to claim 18 .

36 . A tire comprising a rubber composite according to claim 34 .