Rubber composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin as plasticizer

1. A rubber composition based on:

at least one predominant vinylaromatic diene elastomer;

wherein the at least one predominant vinylaromatic diene elastomer is selected from the group consisting of butadiene/styrene random copolymers, isoprene/styrene random copolymers, isoprene/butadiene/styrene random copolymers, and mixtures thereof;

a reinforcing filler;

a crosslinking system; and

a thermoplastic resin comprising optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units,

wherein said thermoplastic resin has a number-average molecular weight Mn within a range extending from 700 to 2500 g/mol.

2. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of greater than 10% by weight.

3. The rubber composition according to claim 2 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of between 15% and 60% by weight.

4. The rubber composition according to claim 3 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of preferably between 20% and 50% by weight.

5. The rubber composition according to claim 4 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of between 30% and 50% by weight.

6. The rubber composition according to claim 5 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of between 35% and 50% by weight.

7. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of between 10% and 30% by weight, and

wherein said thermoplastic resin has a number-average molecular weight Mn of less than 2200 g/mol.

8. The rubber composition according to claim 7 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of between 12% and 28% by weight, and

wherein said thermoplastic resin has a number-average molecular weight Mn of less than 2000 g/mol.

9. The rubber composition according to claim 8 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer has a vinylaromatic content of between 14% and 20% by weight, and

wherein said thermoplastic resin has a number-average molecular weight Mn within a range extending from 700 to 2000 g/mol.

10. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the vinylaromatic diene elastomer is selected from the group consisting of butadiene/styrene random copolymers.

11. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the content of vinylaromatic diene elastomer is within a range extending from 70 to 100 phr.

12. The rubber composition according to claim 11 , wherein the content of vinylaromatic elastomer is within a range extending from 85 to 100 phr.

13. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units has a glass transition temperature Tg, measured by DSC according to standard ASTM D3418, 1999, within a range extending from 0 to 215° C.

14. The rubber composition according to claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units has a glass transition temperature Tg, measured by DSC according to standard ASTM D3418, 1999, within a range extending from 5 to 200° C.

15. The rubber composition according to claim 14 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units has a glass transition temperature Tg, measured by DSC according to standard ASTM D3418, 1999, within a range extending from 5 to 185° C.

16. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is a compound which predominantly comprises polyphenylene ether units of general formula (I):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 represent, independently of one another, identical or different groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkoxy, halogen, amino, alkylamino groups, dialkylamino groups and hydrocarbon-based groups comprising at least 2 carbon atoms, optionally interrupted by heteroatoms and optionally substituted,

wherein R 1 and R 3 or R 2 and R 4 may form, together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, one or more rings fused to the benzene ring of the compound of formula (I), and

wherein n is an integer within a range extending from 3 to 300.

17. The rubber composition according to 16 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is a compound predominantly comprising polyphenylene ether units of general formula (I) in which R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 represent, independently of one another, identical or different groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkoxy, halogen, amino, alkylamino groups, dialkylamino groups, alkyl groups and aryl groups,

wherein the alkyl groups are linear, branched or cyclic alkyl groups, comprising from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, optionally interrupted by heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur and optionally substituted by hydroxyl, alkoxy, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino or halogen groups, and

wherein the aryl groups comprise from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, optionally substituted by hydroxyl, alkoxy, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkyl or halogen groups.

18. The rubber composition according to claim 17 , wherein the alkyl groups comprise from 2 to 18 carbon atoms and the aryl groups comprise from 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

19. The rubber composition according to claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is a compound predominantly comprising polyphenylene ether units of general formula (I),

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 represent, independently of one another, identical or different groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkoxy comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, halogen, amino, alkylamino comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, dialkylamino comprising from 2 to 12 carbon atoms groups, alkyl groups and aryl groups,

wherein the alkyl groups are linear, branched or cyclic alkyl groups, comprising from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, optionally interrupted by heteroatoms and optionally substituted by hydroxyl, alkoxy comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, amino, alkylamino comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, dialkylamino comprising from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, or halogen groups, and

wherein the aryl groups comprise from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, optionally substituted by hydroxyl, alkoxy comprising from 1 to 6 atoms, amino, alkylamino comprising from 1 to 6 atoms, dialkylamino comprising from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, alkyl comprising from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or halogen groups.

20. The rubber composition according to claim 19 , wherein the alkyl groups comprise from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and the aryl groups comprise from 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

21. The rubber composition according to claim 16 , wherein R 1 and R 2 each represent an alkyl group, and R 3 and R 4 each represent a hydrogen atom.

22. The rubber composition according to claim 21 , wherein R 1 and R 2 each represent a methyl group.

23. The rubber composition according to claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is a compound which predominantly comprises polyphenylene ether units of general formula (I), and

wherein n is an integer within a range extending from 3 to 50.

24. The rubber composition according to claim 23 , wherein n is an integer within a range extending from 5 to 30.

25. The rubber composition according to claim 24 , wherein n is an integer within a range extending from 6 to 20.

26. The rubber composition according to claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is a compound which comprises more than 80% by weight of polyphenylene ether units of general formula (I).

27. The rubber composition according to claim 26 , wherein the thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is a compound which comprises more than 95% by weight of polyphenylene ether units of general formula (I).

28. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the content of said thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is within a range extending from 1 to 90 phr.

29. The rubber composition according to claim 28 , wherein the content of said thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is within a range extending from 2 to 80 phr.

30. The rubber composition according to claim 29 , wherein the content of said thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is within a range extending from 3 to 60 phr.

31. The rubber composition according to claim 30 , wherein the content of said thermoplastic resin based on optionally substituted polyphenylene ether units is within a range extending from 5 to 60 phr.

32. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing filler comprises carbon black, silica or a combination thereof.

33. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing filler represents between 20 and 200 phr.

34. The rubber composition according to claim 33 , wherein the reinforcing filler represents between 30 and 160 phr.

35. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing filler predominantly comprises carbon black.

36. The rubber composition according to claim 35 , wherein the carbon black represents from 60 to 160 phr.

37. The rubber composition according to claim 36 , wherein the carbon black represents from 70 to 150 phr.

38. The rubber composition according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing filler predominantly comprises silica.

39. The rubber composition according to claim 38 , wherein the silica represents from 60 to 160 phr.

40. The rubber composition according to claim 39 , wherein the silica represents from 70 to 150 phr.

41. A finished or semi-finished rubber article comprising a rubber composition according to claim 1 .

42. A tire comprising a rubber composition according to claim 1 .

43. The tire according to claim 42 , wherein the rubber composition comprises a tread.