Rubber compositions containing improved tread enhancement additives and use thereof

1. A terpene phenol resin having a softening point temperature in the range of from about 100° C. to about 170° C., a hydroxyl value in the range from about 5 to about 18 mg KOH/g, a glass transition temperature of from 95° C. to 103° C.; and a number average molecular weight of from about 700 Da to about 790 Da, a weight average molecular weight of from about 930 Da to about 1090 Da, and a polydispersity index of from about 1.25 to about 1.45.

2. The terpene phenol resin of claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises monomers selected from the group consisting of piperylenes, cyclic pentadienes, aromatics, limonenes, pinenes, amylenes, and combinations thereof.

3. The terpene phenol resin of claim 1 , wherein the terpene phenol resin is obtained by polymerizing phenol and at least a terpene selected from the group consisting of α-pinene, β-pinene, dipentene, and limonene, at a molar ratio of terpene to phenol in the range from about 1:1 to about 4:1.

4. The terpene phenol resin of claim 1 , wherein the terpene phenol resin is obtained by adding a phenol to at least a terpene selected from the group consisting of α-pinene, β-pinene, dipentene, and limonene, in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst, at a molar ratio of terpene to phenol in the range from about 1:1 to about 4:1, and wherein the Lewis acid catalysts is selected from ether complexes of boron trifluoride and organic acid complexes of boron trifluoride.

5. The terpene phenol resin of claim 1 , wherein the terpene phenol resin is obtained by polymerizing phenol and at least a terpene selected from the group consisting of α-pinene, β-pinene, dipentene, and limonene, at a molar ratio of terpene to phenol in the range from 95:5 to 60:40.

6. The terpene phenol resin of claim 1 , wherein the terpene phenol resin is obtained by adding a phenol to at least a terpene selected from the group consisting of α-pinene, β-pinene, dipentene, and limonene, in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst, at a molar ratio of terpene to phenol in the range from 95:5 to 60:40,

wherein the Lewis acid catalyst is selected from ether complexes of boron trifluoride and organic acid complexes of boron trifluoride.

7. A composition comprising a blend of:

a rubber component and based on 100 parts by weight (phr) of the rubber component;

from about 50 to 200 phr of a filler;

from about 0 to 25 phr of a plasticizer; and

from about 5 phr to about 70 phr of the terpene phenol resin of claim 1 .

8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the composition is for use as a tire tread formulation, and wherein the tire tread formulation has a tan δ at 0° C. of from 0.62 to 0.72, and a tan δ at 60° C. of from 0.14 to 0.20, measured using dynamic mechanical analysis in temperature-sweep/mode in double shear mode, with a heat rate of 1° C./min at 10 Hz, and a dynamic strain of 0.1% from −60° C. to −5° C., and a dynamic strain of 3% from −5° C. to 100° C.

9. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the tire tread formulation further comprises a coupling agent selected from the group of: a sulfur-based coupling agent, an organic peroxide-based coupling agent, an inorganic coupling agent, a polyamine coupling agent, a resin coupling agent, a sulfur compound-based coupling agent, oxime-nitrosamine-based coupling agent, and sulfur.

10. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the rubber component is selected from the group of natural rubber (NR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR), synthetic polyisoprene rubber, epoxylated natural rubber, polybutadiene rubber, nitrile-hydrogenated butadiene rubber NHBR, hydrogenated styrene-butadiene rubber HSBR, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, maleic acid-modified ethylene propylene rubber, butyl rubber, isobutylene-aromatic vinyl or diene monomer copolymers, brominated-NR, chlorinated-NR, brominated isobutylene p-methyl styrene copolymer, chloroprene rubber, epichlorohydrin homopolymers rubber, epichlorohydrin-ethylene oxide or allyl glycidyl ether copolymer rubbers, epichlorohydrin-ethylene oxide-allyl glycidyl ether terpolymer rubbers, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene, maleic acid-modified chlorinated polyethylene, methylvinyl silicone rubber, dimethyl silicone rubber, methylphenylvinyl silicone rubber, polysulfide rubber, vinylidene fluoride rubbers, tetrafluoroethylene-propylene rubbers, fluorinated silicone rubbers, fluorinated phosphagen rubbers, styrene elastomers, thermoplastic olefin elastomers, polyester elastomers, urethane elastomers, and polyamide elastomers.

11. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the rubber is coupled, star-branched, or functionalized with at least a sulfur compound, a silanol group, a silane group, an epoxy group.

12. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from aliphatic acid esters, hydrocarbon processing oils, tall oil pitch and modified tall oil pitch, and combinations thereof.

13. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the filler is selected from calcium carbonate, clay, mica, silica, silicates, talc, titanium dioxide, alumina, zinc oxide, starch, wood flour, carbon black, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), particulate polymer gels, plasticized starch composites, and mixtures thereof.

14. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the filler is surface treated prior to being added to the composition.

15. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the composition is extruded, compression molded, blow molded, injection molded, or laminated into a molded rubber part.

16. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the composition is extruded, compression molded, blow molded, injection molded, or laminated into any of fibers, films, laminates, layers, automotive parts, appliance housings, consumer products, and packaging products.