TIRE COMPONENT
A tire component is disclosed that is made of a thermoplastic composition that is based upon a cross-linkable composition. The composition includes, per 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic elastomer, 100 phr of a thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer that comprises an elastomer block and a hard thermoplastic block. The elastomer block is a diene elastomer and the hard thermoplastic block has a glass transition temperature greater than 80° C. The composition further includes a reinforcing filler and a curing system. In particular embodiments the reinforcing filler may be carbon black, silica or combinations thereof.
1 . A tire comprising a tire component, the tire component comprising a thermoplastic composition that is based upon a cross-linkable composition comprising, per 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic elastomer:
100 phr of a thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer that comprises an elastomer block and a hard thermoplastic block, wherein the elastomer block is a diene elastomer and the hard thermoplastic block has a glass transition temperature greater than 80° C.;
between 5 phr and 40 phr of a reinforcing filler; and
a curing system.
2 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the filler is selected from a carbon black, a silica or combinations thereof.
3 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the filler is carbon black.
4 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer block is a highly unsaturated diene elastomer.
5 . The tire of claim 4 , wherein the unsaturated diene elastomer is selected from those resulting from isoprene, butadiene or combinations thereof.
6 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the hard thermoplastic block is selected from polystyrenes, polyamines, polyurethanes or combinations thereof.
7 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic block copolymer is selected from styrene/butadiene (SB) thermoplastic elastomers, styrene/isoprene (SI) thermoplastic elastomers, styrene/butadiene/isoprene (SBI) thermoplastic elastomers, styrene/butadiene/styrene (SBS) thermoplastic elastomers, styrene/isoprene/styrene (SIS) thermoplastic elastomers, and styrene/butadiene/isoprene/styrene (SBIS) thermoplastic elastomers, and mixtures thereof.
8 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable composition further comprises a plasticizer.
9 . The tire of claim 8 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from a plasticizing resin, a plasticizing oil or combinations thereof.
10 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the tire component is a tread.
11 . The tire of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing filler is between 10 phr and 30 phr.