Thermoplastic polyurethane in racing tire compositions

Abstract

This invention relates to thermoplastic polyurethanes in racing tire compositions. In one aspect, this disclosure relates to a composition comprising: one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes at a certain concentration; and one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers at a concentration of at least 75 parts (phr) per 100 parts of rubber. Tires comprising the disclosed compositions are also disclosed herein. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for searching in a particular field and is not intended to limit this disclosure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to thermoplastic polyurethane in racing tire compositions. Background Technology

[0002] The need for improved tire performance has led to the development and evaluation of new materials with desirable properties. Improving tire properties such as rolling resistance while maintaining a balance between trade-offs is challenging. Rubber formulations need to achieve a balance between processability, low tire rolling resistance, and good hardness and / or elongation properties. This disclosure addresses these and other needs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] For one or more purposes of this disclosure, as specifically embodied and broadly described herein, this disclosure relates in one aspect to a composition comprising: a concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes; and at least 75 parts (phr) of one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers per 100 parts of rubber. Tires comprising the disclosed compositions are also disclosed herein.

[0004] The present invention discloses the following solutions: Option 1. A rubber composition comprising: A certain concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes; and One or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers with at least 75 parts (phr) per 100 parts of rubber.

[0005] Option 2. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises a filler of about 75 phr to about 150 phr.

[0006] Option 3. The rubber composition according to Option 2, wherein the filler comprises at least 40 phr of carbon black.

[0007] Option 4. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises about 1 phr to about 40 phr of residual aromatic extract oil.

[0008] Option 5. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the rubber composition comprises about 75 phr to about 100 phr of the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers.

[0009] Option 6. The rubber composition according to Option 5, wherein the rubber composition comprises no more than about 95 phr of the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers.

[0010] Option 7. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the concentration of the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes is from about 5 phr to about 25 phr.

[0011] Option 8. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes comprise polyester polymer blocks or derivatives thereof.

[0012] Option 9. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes comprise polyether polymer blocks or derivatives thereof.

[0013] Option 10. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a hardness of about 30 Shore A to about 90 Shore A.

[0014] Option 11. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a hardness of about 30 Shore A to about 60 Shore A.

[0015] Option 12. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a content of approximately 1.00 g / cm³. 3 Up to approximately 1.30 g / cm 3 The density.

[0016] Option 13. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a content of approximately 1.05 g / cm³. 3 Up to approximately 1.25 g / cm³ 3 The density.

[0017] Option 14. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a tensile strength of about 10 MPa to about 50 MPa.

[0018] Option 15. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have an elongation at break percentage of about 700% to about 1200%.

[0019] Option 16. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises at least one of a liquid solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber, a resin, an anti-degradation agent, a fatty acid, zinc oxide, a processing aid, a vulcanizing agent, or any combination thereof.

[0020] Option 17. The rubber composition according to Option 1, wherein the rubber composition is cured.

[0021] Scheme 18. A tire comprising the rubber composition according to Scheme 17.

[0022] Option 19. The tire according to Option 18, wherein the tire is one or more of the following: Motorcycle tires; Motorcycle racing tires; Motorcycle rear tire; Bald tires; Pneumatic tires; It does not contain a groove that completely surrounds the tire in the circumferential direction; A motorcycle tire comprising two fabric-reinforced breaker plies radially covered by at least one helically wound ply strip; or A motorcycle tire comprising a split tread, the split tread comprising two circumferential tread shoulder portions each containing the rubber composition said therein, and at least a circumferential tread center portion containing another rubber composition, wherein the two rubber compositions are different from each other.

[0023] Option 20. The tire according to Option 18, wherein the tire is a motorcycle tire.

[0024] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of this disclosure will be or will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within this specification, within the scope of this disclosure, and protected by the appended claims. Furthermore, all optional and preferred features and modifications of the described aspects are applicable to all aspects of the disclosure taught herein. Moreover, the various features of the dependent claims, as well as all optional and preferred features and modifications of the described aspects, are combinable and interchangeable with each other. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Many aspects of this disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following accompanying drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, but rather the emphasis is on clearly illustrating the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, similar reference numerals denote corresponding parts in several views of the drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 This diagram shows a schematic partial cross-section of a motorcycle tire tread and the underlying reinforcing reinforced rubber plies, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Further advantages of this disclosure are set forth in part in the following description, and in part will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. The advantages of this disclosure are realized and achieved by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that the general description above and the detailed description below are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure as claimed. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Many modifications and other aspects disclosed herein will arise to those skilled in the art upon which the disclosed compositions and methods pertain, thanks to the teachings given in the foregoing description and drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific aspects disclosed, and that modifications and other aspects are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations and modifications to the aspects described herein. These variations and modifications are intended to be included in the teachings of this disclosure and are covered by the claims herein.

[0029] Although specific terms are used in this document, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense, not for the purpose of limitation.

[0030] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, each aspect described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features that can be readily separated from or combined with features of any of the other aspects without departing from the scope or spirit of this disclosure.

[0031] Any enumerated method may be performed in the order of the enumerated events or in any other logically possible order. That is, unless expressly stated otherwise, there is absolutely no intention to interpret any method or aspect set forth herein as requiring its steps to be performed in a particular order. Therefore, if a method claim does not specifically specify in the claims or specification that the steps are limited to a particular order, there is absolutely no intention to infer the order in any way. This applies to any possible non-express basis of interpretation, including the logical content of the arrangement of steps or procedures, the general meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation, or the number or type of aspects described in the specification.

[0032] All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and / or materials relating to the cited publications. The publications discussed herein are provided only for their publication prior to the filing date of this application. Nothing herein should be construed as an admission that this disclosure is not entitled to precede such publications by prior disclosure. Furthermore, the publication dates provided herein may differ from the actual publication dates, which may require separate verification.

[0033] Although aspects of this disclosure may be described and claimed under specific statutory categories (such as the system statutory category), this is merely for convenience, and those skilled in the art will understand that each aspect of this disclosure may be described and claimed under any statutory category.

[0034] It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed compositions and methods pertain. It should be further understood that terms (such as those defined in common dictionaries) should be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in this specification and the relevant field, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0035] Before describing various aspects of this disclosure, the following definitions are provided and shall be used unless otherwise specified. Additional terms may be defined elsewhere in this disclosure.

[0036] A. Definition As used herein, “comprising” should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the mentioned feature, integer, step, or component, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more features, integers, steps, or components, or groups thereof. Furthermore, the terms “through,” “comprising,” “comprises,” “comprised of,” “including,” “includes,” “included,” “involving,” “involves,” “involved,” and “such” are each used in their open, non-restrictive sense and are used interchangeably. Additionally, the term “comprising” is intended to include instances and aspects covered by the terms “consisting of” and “basically composed of.” Similarly, the term “basically composed of” is intended to include instances covered by the term “consisting of.”

[0037] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. When preceding a list of elements, expressions such as "...at least one of..." modify the entire list of elements, rather than a single element of the list.

[0038] As used herein, the naming of compounds (including organic compounds) may be given using common names, IUPAC, IUBMB, or CAS naming guidelines. When one or more stereochemical features are present, the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog stereochemistry rules may be used to specify stereochemical priority, E / Z specifications, etc. If a name is given, the compound structure may be systematically simplified using naming guidelines, or using commercially available software such as CHEMDRAW. TM (Cambridgesoft Corporation, USA) Those skilled in the art can easily determine the structure of the compound.

[0039] The reference to "an / a" chemical compound means one or more molecules of that chemical compound, and is not limited to a single molecule of that chemical compound. Furthermore, the one or more molecules may be the same or different, as long as they fall within the category of that chemical compound. Thus, for example, "an / a" chemical compound is interpreted as including one or more molecules of that compound, wherein these molecules may be the same or different (e.g., different isotope ratios, enantiomers, etc.).

[0040] As used in the specification and appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. Thus, for example, references to “a filler,” “an oil,” or “a fatty acid” include, but are not limited to, two or more such fillers, oils, or fatty acids.

[0041] It should be noted that ratios, concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed in range format herein. It should be further understood that each endpoint of a range is meaningful both relative to and independent of another endpoint. It should also be understood that many numerical values ​​are disclosed herein, and each numerical value is also disclosed herein as “approximately” that particular value, in addition to being the value itself. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “approximately 10” is also disclosed. A range may be expressed herein as from “approximately” one particular value, and / or to “approximately” another particular value. Similarly, when a numerical value is expressed as an approximation using the antecedent “approximately”, it should be understood that the particular value constitutes another aspect. For example, if the value “approximately 10” is disclosed, then “10” is also disclosed.

[0042] When expressing a range, another aspect includes from one specific numerical value and / or to another specific numerical value. For example, when a specified range includes one or two boundaries, the range excluding any one or both of these included boundaries is also included in this disclosure; for example, the phrase "x to y" includes the range from "x" to "y" as well as the range greater than "x" and less than "y". The range can also be expressed as an upper limit, such as "approximately x, y, z or less", and should be interpreted as including the specific ranges of "approximately x", "approximately y", and "approximately z" as well as the ranges of "less than x", "less than y", and "less than z". Similarly, the phrase "approximately x, y, z or greater" should be interpreted as including the specific ranges of "approximately x", "approximately y", and "approximately z" as well as the ranges of "greater than x", "greater than y", and "greater than z". Furthermore, the phrase "approximately 'x' to 'y'" (where 'x' and 'y' are numerical values) includes "approximately 'x' to approximately 'y'".

[0043] It should be understood that this range format is used for convenience and brevity, and therefore should be interpreted flexibly as including not only the explicitly listed values ​​that form the boundaries of the range, but also all individual values ​​or subranges contained within that range, as if each value and subrange were explicitly listed. For example, the range of values ​​“approximately 0.1% to 5%” should be interpreted as including not only the explicitly listed values ​​of approximately 0.1% to approximately 5%, but also individual values ​​within the indicated range (e.g., approximately 1%, approximately 2%, approximately 3%, and approximately 4%) and subranges (e.g., approximately 0.5% to approximately 1.1%; approximately 5% to approximately 2.4%; approximately 0.5% to approximately 3.2%, and approximately 0.5% to approximately 4.4%, and other possible subranges).

[0044] As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “at or about,” and “basically” mean that the quantity or value in question may be an exact value or a value that provides an equivalent result or effect as described in the claims or taught herein. That is, it is to be understood that quantities, dimensions, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as required to reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, and other factors known to those skilled in the art to obtain an equivalent result or effect. In some cases, it is not reasonable to determine a value that provides an equivalent result or effect. In such cases, it is generally understood that, as used herein, “approximately” and “at or about” refer to a nominal value indicated within ±10%, unless otherwise stated or inferred. Generally, quantities, dimensions, formulations, parameters, or other quantities or characteristics are “approximately,” “about,” and “at or about,” whether or not explicitly stated so. It is to be understood that, unless otherwise specifically stated, when “approximately,” “about,” or “at or about” is used before a quantitative value, the parameter also includes the specific quantitative value itself.

[0045] As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that an event or situation described below may or may not occur, and the description includes both the possibility that such an event or situation occurs and the possibility that it does not occur.

[0046] As used herein, the term "phr" refers to the number of parts by weight of the respective material relative to 100 parts by weight of rubber or elastomer. Generally, using this convention, an elastomer composition comprises 100 parts by weight of rubber / elastomer. The claimed composition may contain other rubber / elastomers not expressly mentioned in the claims, provided that the phr value of the claimed rubber / elastomer is within the claimed phr range and the total amount of all rubber / elastomers in the composition is 100 parts by weight.

[0047] Unless otherwise stated, the terms “rubber” and “elastomer” are used interchangeably in this document.

[0048] As used herein, the term "uncured composition" refers to a composition comprising at least one natural or synthetic rubber component and optionally one or more fillers, processing aids, or additional compounds that has not yet been vulcanized. Uncured rubber is sensitive to temperature changes and tends to undergo "cold flow" (slow movement or deformation under stress) over time. In some respects, uncured rubber compositions are masterbatches.

[0049] Unless otherwise specified, the temperatures mentioned in this article are based on atmospheric pressure (i.e., one atmosphere).

[0050] B. Rubber Composition In one aspect, this disclosure relates to a composition, such as an uncured or cured rubber composition, comprising: a concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes; and one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers (SSBRs). More specifically, in one aspect, this disclosure further relates to a composition comprising: a concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs); and at least 75 parts (phr) of one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers per 100 parts of rubber. This disclosure also relates to articles comprising said compositions, such as tires and / or tire assemblies. Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are not typically used in conventional rubber compositions used in tire production. They are typically used as dampers in industrial applications or other applications employing polymer formulations that require enhanced damping properties. The disclosed rubber compositions comprising TPU and at least one solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber can be used to produce tires with relatively high levels of dry grip and other desirable properties, such as relatively low sensitivity to ambient temperature and / or better track wear, such as racing tires.

[0051] The one or more SSBRs may be present in the composition in an amount of at least about 75 phr, at least about 80 phr, at least about 85 phr, at least about 90 phr, at least about 95 phr, or at least about 100 phr. In another aspect, the one or more SSBRs may be present in the composition in an amount not greater than about 75 phr, not greater than about 80 phr, not greater than 85 phr, not greater than 90 phr, not greater than about 95 phr, not greater than about 100 phr, or not greater than about 110 phr. In another aspect, the one or more SSBRs may be present in the composition in an amount of about 75 phr to about 80 phr, about 75 phr to about 85 phr, about 75 phr to about 90 phr, about 75 phr to about 95 phr, about 75 phr to about 100 phr, about 75 phr to about 105 phr, about 75 phr to about 110 phr, or any of the aforementioned individual values ​​or subranges.

[0052] TPU may be present in the composition in amounts of about 5 phr to about 25 phr, about 10 phr to about 25 phr, about 15 phr to about 25 phr, about 20 phr to about 25 phr, about 10 phr to about 25 phr, about 10 phr to about 20 phr, about 10 phr to about 15 phr, about 5 phr to about 20 phr, about 5 phr to about 15 phr, about 5 phr to about 10 phr, or any of the aforementioned individual values ​​or subranges. In another aspect, TPU can be present in amounts of approximately 5 phr, approximately 6 phr, approximately 7 phr, approximately 8 phr, approximately 9 phr, approximately 10 phr, approximately 11 phr, approximately 12 phr, approximately 13 phr, approximately 14 phr, approximately 15 phr, approximately 16, approximately 17 phr, approximately 18 phr, approximately 19 phr, approximately 20 phr, approximately 21 phr, approximately 22 phr, approximately 23 phr, approximately 24 phr, or approximately 25 phr.

[0053] TPU may comprise polyester polymer blocks or derivatives thereof. In another aspect, TPU may comprise polyether polymer blocks or derivatives thereof. The one or more TPUs present in the composition can be characterized by various physical or mechanical properties, such as density, tensile strength, elongation at break, and / or hardness (i.e., resistance to deformation or indentation). When more than one TPU is present in the composition, the various TPUs may be the same TPU having the same properties, or different TPUs that differ in at least one physical or mechanical property (e.g., density, tensile strength, elongation at break, and / or hardness).

[0054] In one aspect, the rubber composition may contain one or more components having a content of approximately 1.00 g / cm³. 3 Up to approximately 1.30 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.00 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.25 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.00 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.20 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.00 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.15 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.00 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.05 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.30 g / cm 3 Approximately 1.05 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.25 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.05 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.20 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.05 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.15 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.05 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.30 g / cm 3 Approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.25 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.20 g / cm³ 3 Or approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Up to approximately 1.15 g / cm³ 3; or TPU with a density of a single value or subrange as described above. For example, in a further aspect, the rubber composition comprises one or more TPUs having a density of approximately 1.00 g / cm³. 3 Approximately 1.01 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.02 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.03 g / cm 3 Approximately 1.04 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.05 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.10 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.11 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.12 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.13 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.14 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.15 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.16 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.17 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.18 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.19 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.20 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.21 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.22 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.23 g / cm³ 3 Approximately 1.24 g / cm³ 3 Or approximately 1.25 g / cm³ 3 ; or a range of densities of TPU containing one of the aforementioned values ​​as a lower limit and the other of the aforementioned values ​​as an upper limit.

[0055] In one aspect, the rubber composition may comprise one or more of the following pressures: approximately 10 MPa to approximately 50 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 45 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 40 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 35 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 30 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 25 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 20 MPa, approximately 10 MPa to approximately 20 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 50 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 45 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 40 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 40 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 35 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 30 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 25 MPa, approximately 15 MPa to approximately 20 MPa, approximately 20 MPa to approximately 50 MPa, approximately 20 MPa to approximately 45 MPa, approximately 20 MPa to approximately 40 MPa, approximately 20 MPa to approximately 35 ... The rubber composition may contain one or more TPUs having tensile strengths of approximately 10 MPa to approximately 30 MPa, approximately 20 MPa to approximately 25 MPa, approximately 25 MPa to approximately 50 MPa, approximately 25 MPa to approximately 45 MPa, approximately 25 MPa to approximately 40 MPa, approximately 25 MPa to approximately 35 MPa, approximately 25 MPa to approximately 30 MPa, or any single value or subrange thereof. For example, in a further aspect, the rubber composition may contain one or more TPUs having tensile strengths of approximately 10 MPa, approximately 15 MPa, approximately 20 MPa, approximately 25 MPa, approximately 30 MPa, approximately 35 MPa, approximately 40 MPa, approximately 45 MPa, or approximately 50 MPa; or containing a range of tensile strengths including one of the aforementioned values ​​as a lower limit and another of the aforementioned values ​​as an upper limit.

[0056] In another aspect, the rubber composition may comprise one or more TPUs having a percentage of elongation at break of about 700% to about 1200%; about 700% to about 1100%; about 700% to about 1000%; about 700% to about 900%; about 700% to about 800%; about 800% to about 1200%; about 800% to about 1100%; about 800% to about 1000%; about 800% to about 900%; about 900% to about 1200%; about 900% to about 1100%; about 900% to about 1000%; or any of the aforementioned individual values ​​or subranges. For example, in a further aspect, the rubber composition comprises one or more TPUs having a break elongation percentage of about 700%; about 750%; about 800%; about 850%; about 900%; about 950%; about 1000%; about 1050%; about 1100%; about 1150%; or about 1200%; or including one of the aforementioned values ​​as a lower limit and another of the aforementioned values ​​as an upper limit.

[0057] In another aspect, the rubber composition may comprise one or more of the following: approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 90 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 85 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 80 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 75 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 70 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 65 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 60 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 55 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 50 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 45 Shore A; approximately 30 Shore A to approximately 40 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 90 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 85 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 80 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 75 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 70 Shore A. A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 65 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 60 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 55 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 50 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 45 Shore A; approximately 35 Shore A to approximately 40 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 90 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 85 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 80 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 75 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 70 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 65 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 60 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 55 Shore A; approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 50 Shore A; or approximately 40 Shore A to approximately 45 Shore A; or TPU with a hardness of any of the aforementioned individual values ​​or subranges. For example, in a further aspect, the rubber composition comprises one or more TPUs having a hardness of about 30 Shore A; about 35 Shore A; about 30 Shore A; about 40 Shore A; about 45 Shore A; about 50 Shore A; about 55 Shore A; about 60 Shore A; about 65 Shore A; about 70 Shore A; about 75 Shore A; about 80 Shore A; about 85 Shore A; or about 90 Shore A; or including one of the aforementioned values ​​as a lower limit and another of the aforementioned values ​​as an upper limit.

[0058] The compositions disclosed herein may further comprise additional components, such as residual aromatic extract oils and / or fillers. In a further aspect, the filler may comprise carbon black. In an even further aspect, the filler may consist essentially of carbon black. In another aspect, residual aromatic extract oils may be included in the composition instead of other processed oils, such as mineral oils.

[0059] In a further aspect, this disclosure relates to a rubber composition comprising: one or more TPUs, one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers; and fillers. The fillers may be present in amounts from about 35 phr to about 150 phr; from about 40 phr to about 150 phr; from about 45 phr to about 150 phr; from about 50 phr to about 150 phr; from about 55 phr to about 150 phr; from about 60 phr to about 150 phr; from about 65 phr to about 150 phr; from about 70 phr to about 150 phr; from about 75 phr to about 150 phr; from about 80 phr to about 150 phr; from about 85 phr to about 150 phr; from about 90 phr to about 150 phr; or from about 95 phr to about 150 phr. For example, in a further aspect, the rubber composition may contain filler in an amount of about 40 phr, about 45 phr, about 50 phr, about 55 phr, about 60 phr, about 65 phr, about 70 phr, about 75 phr, about 80 phr, about 85 phr, about 90 phr, about 95 phr, about 100 phr, or about 105 phr; or in a range containing one of the aforementioned values ​​as a lower limit and another of the aforementioned values ​​as an upper limit. In another aspect, the rubber composition may contain filler in an amount of at least about 30 phr; at least about 35 phr; at least about 40 phr, at least about 45 phr, at least about 50 phr, at least about 55 phr, at least about 60 phr, at least about 65 phr, at least about 70 phr, at least about 75 phr, at least about 80 phr, at least about 85 phr, at least about 90 phr, or at least about 95 phr.

[0060] In another aspect, this disclosure relates to a rubber composition comprising: one or more TPUs and one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers; and further comprising residual aromatic extract oils. The residual aromatic extract oil can be obtained at approximately 1 phr to approximately 50 phr; approximately 1 phr to approximately 45 phr; approximately 1 phr to approximately 40 phr; approximately 1 phr to approximately 35 phr; approximately 1 phr to approximately 30 phr; approximately 1 phr to approximately 25 phr; approximately 1 phr to approximately 20 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 50 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 45 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 40 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 35 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 30 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 25 phr; approximately 5 phr to approximately 20 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 50 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 45 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 40 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 35 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 30 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 25 phr; approximately 10 phr to approximately 20 phr. phr; or the presence of a single value or subrange of the foregoing. For example, in a further aspect, the rubber composition further comprises a residual aromatic extract oil selected from about 1 phr, about 5 phr, about 10 phr, about 15 phr, about 20 phr, about 25 phr, about 30 phr, about 35 phr, about 40 phr, about 35 phr, about 40 phr, about 45 phr, and about 50 phr; or a range comprising one of the foregoing values ​​as a lower limit and another of the foregoing values ​​as an upper limit.

[0061] The composition may further include other commonly used additive materials, such as: curing or vulcanizing agents, such as sulfur donors; curing aids, such as activators, accelerators, and retarders; processing additives, such as oils, resins (including tackifying resins or tackifiers), and plasticizers; additional fillers, such as silica; pigments; fatty acids; zinc oxide; waxes; anti-degradation agents, such as antioxidants and anti-ozone agents; and adhesive solvents. The above additives are selected according to the intended use of the vulcanizable and vulcanized materials (rubber) and are generally used in conventional amounts.

[0062] Representative antioxidants include, but are not limited to, phenylenediamine compounds (e.g., diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine), hydrogenated quinoline compounds (e.g., anti-polymerization trimethyldihydroquinoline), amine compounds, dithiocarbamate compounds, phenolic compounds, phosphite compounds, tolueneimidazole compounds, and others, such as those disclosed in The Vanderbilt Rubber Handbook (1978), pages 344–346. Representative anti-ozone agents include, but are not limited to, N-phenyl-N'-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) and N,N'-xylyl-p-phenylenediamine (DTPD). Examples of fatty acids include, but are not limited to, stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and mixtures thereof. Microcrystalline waxes, paraffins, and combinations thereof may be used. Accelerators may include, but are not limited to, sulfinamide compounds (e.g., N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfinamide and N-tert-butyl-2-benzothiazole sulfinamide), guanidine compounds (e.g., diphenylguanidine), dithiocarbamate compounds, thiadiazole compounds, thiazole compounds, thiourea compounds, thiuram compounds, and xanthate compounds. Retarders may include, but are not limited to, phthalic anhydrides, phthalimides (e.g., N-(cyclohexylthio)phthalimides), sulfinamide compounds, and acids (e.g., benzoic acid and salicylic acid).

[0063] C. Products This disclosure also relates to products or articles comprising the disclosed compositions, wherein the products or articles may be tires and / or tire assemblies. More specifically, in one aspect, this disclosure relates to tires comprising the disclosed compositions, wherein the tires are selected from motorcycle tires; motorcycle racing tires; motorcycle rear tires; slick tires; pneumatic tires; and combinations thereof; motorcycle tires comprising two fabric-reinforced breaker plies radially covered by at least one helically wound ply strip; and motorcycle tires comprising a split tread including two circumferential tread shoulder portions, each comprising the rubber composition, and at least a circumferential tread center portion comprising another rubber composition, wherein the two rubber compositions are different from each other. In a further aspect, the tire may not contain grooves that completely surround the tire in the circumferential direction.

[0064] In another aspect, the article comprises a tire, such as a pneumatic tire, or a tire assembly. The tire can be a racing tire, a bus tire, an aircraft tire, an agricultural tire, an off-road tire, a truck or bus tire, etc. The tire can also be radial or bias-ply. The tire assembly can be a tread, base, sidewall, apex, chafer, sidewall insert, wirecoat, innerliner, or any combination thereof. In another aspect, a tire assembly comprising the aforementioned composition can be a tread, base, sidewall, apex, wirecoat, ply coat, or any combination thereof. The vulcanization of the disclosed tires is typically carried out at a conventional temperature of about 100°C to about 200°C or about 110°C to about 180°C. Such tires can be constructed, shaped, molded, and cured by a variety of methods known to and readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0065] In a further aspect, the tire is a motorcycle tire. In an even further aspect, the tire is a motorcycle tire, wherein the motorcycle tire comprises two fabric-reinforced breaker plies radially covered by at least one helically wound ply strip. In an even further aspect, the tire is a motorcycle tire, wherein the motorcycle tire comprises a split tread, the split tread comprising two circumferential shoulder portions, each comprising the rubber composition, such as a first rubber composition and a second rubber composition; wherein the motorcycle tire comprises a circumferential tread center portion comprising another rubber composition, such as a third rubber composition, wherein the rubber compositions are different from each other.

[0066] Figure 1 This illustrates a non-limiting embodiment of a tire tread 10 supported by reinforcing rubber layers. The tread 10 includes a central tread portion 2 disposed between two outer shoulder portions 3. Each shoulder portion 3 has a tread cap shoulder portion 4 and a tread base shoulder portion 5 disposed below the tread cap shoulder portion 4. A pair of breaker plies includes a first breaker ply 6 covered by a second breaker ply 7. Both breaker plies 6 and 7 are covered by radially wound ply strips 8 that contact the shoulder portions 3 (particularly the tread base shoulder portion 5) and the central tread portion 2.

[0067] According to this embodiment of the tread 10, the tread crown shoulder 4 comprises a rubber composition, such as one of the experimental compounds detailed in Tables 1 and 2.

[0068] Although only the crown shoulder 4 of this embodiment contains the compound of the invention according to one embodiment, it is also possible that the entire tread or multiple portions of the tread contain such a rubber compound. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the center portion 2 of the tread has another rubber composition with higher abrasion resistance than the rubber composition of the crown shoulder 4. It is also possible that the shoulder portion 3 has only one compound, i.e., no crown / base structure. In this embodiment, the rubber composition of the tread base shoulder 5 is preferably softer than the composition of the crown shoulder 4, which helps the tire preheat to reach the desired temperature as early as possible. However, such a feature is not essential to the invention; the focus of the invention is the rubber composition in the crown shoulder area that contacts the road surface during driving, particularly during cornering. The tread 10 shown is an example of a rear tire tread of a motorcycle racing tire without circumferential grooves. The circumferential direction of the tread 10 and the tire is... Figure 1 The radial direction of the tire is indicated by the letter "c". The tread 10 and the radial direction of the tire are indicated by "r". It extends perpendicularly from the tire's axis of rotation (not shown). The axial direction, not depicted here, extends perpendicular to the radial direction r and the circumferential direction c. The axial direction can also be described as the lateral direction. It is also understood to be parallel to the tire's axis.

[0069] The ply strip 8 is preferably a spirally wound ply strip that wraps around the buffer layers 6 and 7 at an angle of less than 5° relative to the circumferential direction of the tire (or in other words, relative to the equatorial plane of the tire, as is known to those skilled in the art). Preferably, this angle is less than 2° or even less than 1°. In this case, zero-degree ply strips or overlapping ply strips are sometimes also referred to.

[0070] Preparation of the disclosed rubber composition The rubber compositions disclosed herein can be formulated using methods generally known in the field of rubber compounding, such as mixing the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes and the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers. More specifically, the compositions disclosed herein can be formulated using methods generally known in the field of rubber compounding, such as mixing the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes and the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers; wherein the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers are present in an amount of at least 75 parts (phr) of one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers per 100 parts of rubber. In a further aspect, the compositions disclosed herein can be formulated using methods generally known in the field of rubber compounding, such as mixing the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes; and the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers; wherein the one or more TPUs are present in an amount of about 5 phr to about 25 phr; and wherein the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers are present in an amount of at least 75 parts (phr) of one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers per 100 parts of rubber.

[0071] In a further aspect, the rubber compositions disclosed herein can be compounded by methods generally known in the field of rubber compounding, such as compounding one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes; and one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers; and optionally compounding at least one of residual aromatic extract oils, fillers such as carbon black, resins, anti-degradation agents, fatty acids, zinc oxide, processing aids (e.g., fatty acid soaps), curing agents, or any combination thereof. The preparation of the disclosed rubber compositions may further comprise optional compounding of one or more additive materials, such as: curing or vulcanizing agents, such as sulfur donors; curing aids, such as activators; processing additives, such as oils, resins (including tackifying resins or tackifiers), and plasticizers; fillers, such as carbon black and silica; pigments; zinc oxide; waxes; and anti-degradation agents, such as antioxidants and anti-ozone agents. The above-mentioned additives are selected according to the intended use of the vulcanizable and vulcanizable materials (rubber) and are generally used in conventional amounts and / or the amounts disclosed above.

[0072] The compositions disclosed herein can be mixed using methods known in the field of rubber compounding. For example, these components can be mixed in at least two stages, i.e., at least one non-productive stage followed by a productive mixing stage. In one aspect, the mixing of the uncured composition comprises only a single non-productive stage. Final curing agents, including curing agents or vulcanizing agents, can typically be mixed in the final stage (conventionally referred to as the "productive" mixing stage). In the productive mixing stage, mixing is typically carried out at a temperature lower than the mixing temperature of any preceding non-productive mixing stage or at the final temperature. In one aspect, the mixing stage may comprise thermomechanical mixing, typically characterized by mechanical processing for a period of time in a mixer (e.g., an internal batch mixer) or extruder at a temperature suitable for the production of rubber. The appropriate duration of thermomechanical mixing varies depending on the operating conditions and the volume and properties of the components. For example, thermomechanical mixing can be from approximately 0.5 minutes to 10 minutes.

[0073] E. Aspect The following list of exemplary aspects supports and is supported by the disclosures provided herein.

[0074] Aspect 1. A rubber composition comprising: one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes at a certain concentration; and one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers at a concentration of at least 75 parts (phr) per 100 parts of rubber.

[0075] Aspect 2. The rubber composition according to aspect 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises about 75 phr to about 150 phr of filler.

[0076] Aspect 3. The rubber composition according to aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the rubber composition further comprises about 1 phr to about 40 phr of residual aromatic extract oil.

[0077] Aspect 4. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-3, wherein the filler comprises at least 40 phr of carbon black.

[0078] Aspect 5. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-4, wherein the rubber composition comprises about 75 phr to about 100 phr of the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers.

[0079] Aspect 6. The rubber composition according to aspect 5, wherein the rubber composition comprises not more than about 95 phr of the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers.

[0080] Aspect 7. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-6, wherein the rubber composition further comprises at least one of a liquid solution polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber, a resin, an anti-degradation agent, a fatty acid, zinc oxide, a processing aid, a curing agent, or any combination thereof.

[0081] Aspect 8. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-7, wherein the concentration of the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes is from about 5 phr to about 25 phr.

[0082] Aspect 9. The rubber composition according to aspect 8, wherein the concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes is from about 10 phr to about 20 phr.

[0083] Aspect 10. The rubber composition according to aspect 8, wherein the concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes is about 15 phr.

[0084] Aspect 11. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-10, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes comprise polyester polymer blocks or derivatives thereof.

[0085] Aspect 12. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-10, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes comprise a polyether polymer block or a derivative thereof.

[0086] Aspect 13. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-12, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a content of about 1.00 g / cm³. 3 Up to approximately 1.30 g / cm 3 The density.

[0087] Aspect 14. The rubber composition according to aspect 13, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a content of about 1.05 g / cm³. 3 Up to approximately 1.25 g / cm³ 3 The density.

[0088] Aspect 15. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-14, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a tensile strength of about 10 MPa to about 50 MPa.

[0089] Aspect 16. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-15, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a breakage elongation percentage of about 700% to about 1200%.

[0090] Aspect 17. A rubber composition according to any one of Aspects 1-16, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a hardness of about 30 Shore A to about 90 Shore A.

[0091] Aspect 18. The rubber composition according to aspect 17, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a hardness of about 30 Shore A to about 60 Shore A.

[0092] Aspect 19. A rubber composition according to any one of aspects 1-18, wherein the rubber composition is cured.

[0093] Aspect 20. A tire comprising a rubber composition according to any one of aspects 1-19 Aspect 21. The tire according to aspect 20, wherein the tire is one or more of the following: a motorcycle tire; a motorcycle racing tire; a motorcycle rear tire; a slick tire; or a pneumatic tire.

[0094] Aspect 22. The tire according to aspect 21, wherein the tire does not contain a groove that completely surrounds the tire in the circumferential direction.

[0095] Aspect 23. The tire according to aspect 21, wherein the tire is a motorcycle tire.

[0096] Aspect 24. The tire according to aspect 23, wherein the motorcycle tire comprises two fabric-reinforced breaker plies radially covered by at least one helically wound ply strip.

[0097] Aspect 25. The tire according to Aspect 23, wherein the motorcycle tire comprises a split tread comprising two circumferential tread shoulder portions, each comprising the rubber composition said therein, and at least a circumferential tread center portion comprising another rubber composition, wherein the two rubber compositions are different from each other.

[0098] As can be seen from the above, the aspects in this paper are well-suited to achieving all the purposes and objectives proposed above, as well as other obvious advantages inherent to this structure.

[0099] Although specific elements and steps are discussed in combination with each other, it is to be understood that any element and / or step provided herein is considered to be in combination with any other element and / or step, whether expressly stated or not, while still remaining within the scope provided herein.

[0100] It should be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are useful and can be used without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by the claims and is within the scope of the claims.

[0101] Since many possible aspects can be implemented without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matters set forth herein or shown in the drawings and details should be interpreted as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0102] It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting. Those skilled in the art will recognize many variations and modifications of the aspects described herein. These variations and modifications are intended to be included in the teachings of this disclosure and to be covered by the claims herein.

[0103] Having now described aspects of this disclosure, the following embodiments illustrate some additional aspects of this disclosure. Although aspects of this disclosure have been described in conjunction with the following embodiments and corresponding text and drawings, it is not intended to limit the aspects of this disclosure to such description. Rather, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0104] F. Examples The following examples are provided to provide those skilled in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to prepare and evaluate the compounds, compositions, articles, apparatus, and / or methods claimed herein, and are intended only as examples of this disclosure and not to limit the scope of the disclosure as viewed by the inventors. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy regarding numerical values ​​(e.g., amounts, temperatures, etc.), but some errors and deviations should be taken into account. Unless otherwise stated, parts are parts by weight, temperatures are in °C or at ambient temperature, and pressures are atmospheric pressure or near atmospheric pressure.

[0105] 1. Exemplary rubber composition Six rubber compositions comprising solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber are discussed here. These rubber compositions include three control compositions (A1, B1, and C1) as outlined in Table 1 and corresponding experimental compositions (A2, B2, and C2). In particular, the experimental compositions all comprise 15 phr of TPU instead of 15 phr of SSBR, compared to their corresponding control compositions.

[0106] Table 1. Overview of control compositions (A1, B1, C1), their corresponding experimental compositions (A2, B2, C2), and the changes in major formulations between them.

[0107] Table 2 provides more detailed formulations of each composition. A significant difference between the control and experimental compositions (highlighted in Table 1) includes the presence of TPU in the experimental compositions, replacing a portion of one of the solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers. SSBR is oil-extended to ensure that each composition contains a total of 100 phr of SSBR, with the remainder being filler oil. For example, for experimental composition A2, the total phr of the first and second SSBRs, 116.68, refers to 100 phr of total elastomer content and 16.68 phr of filler oil content.

[0108] Table 2. Formulations of control compositions A1, B1, and C1, and experimental compositions A2, B2, and C2 (in phr) 1 Solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber with 40% styrene and 39% vinyl and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −5 °C 2 Solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber with 40% styrene and 14% vinyl and a Tg of −29°C 3 TPU with a Shore A hardness of 45 4 Liquid styrene-butadiene rubber including at least one type of rubber with a Tg of −22°C 5 Liquid styrene-butadiene rubber including at least one type of rubber with a Tg of −21°C 6 Carbon black with an iodine adsorption value of 202 g / kg as determined by ASTM D1510 or equivalent 7 RAE oil 8 Alkylphenol resins 9 Coumarin-Indene resin 10 Dihydroquinoline and phenylenediamine anti-degradation agents 11 Fatty acid soap 12 N-tert-butylbenzothiazole-2-sulfonamide 13 Tetrabenzylthiuram disulfide.

[0109] 2. Exemplary disclosed rubber compositions and exemplary properties The physical properties and track performance results of six rubber compositions (A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, and C2) are discussed here. As seen in Table 3, compared to their respective control compositions A1, B1, and C1, experimental compositions A2, B2, and C2 exhibited increased hysteresis (as indicated by the increase in Tan δ values) and increased loss compliance (LC). These values ​​were determined using a rubber processing analyzer (RPA). This change in hysteresis and LC can be correlated with the general improvement in grip and lap time shown in Table 3 for the experimental compositions vs. control compositions. Furthermore, the modulus values ​​of the experimental compositions at 300% elongation (i.e., M300) remained relatively stable compared to their corresponding control compositions: a decrease of no more than 3% for A2 and B2, and an increase for C2. This suggests that tires made using the experimental compositions should have a wear appearance similar to tires made using the control compositions. In conclusion, the addition of TPU to the experimental compositions produces tires with a better balance between wear and dry grip performance.

[0110] Table 3. Physical properties of the control and experimental compositions. The values ​​of experimental compositions A2, B2, and C2 are normalized relative to their respective control compositions A1, B1, and C1.

[0112] Table 4 shows the track evaluation results for motorcycle tires, including control and experimental compositions. The experimental compositions exhibited similar or better subjective scores and lap times than their corresponding control compositions.

[0113] Table 4. Track evaluation results of motorcycle tires including control compositions A1, B1, and C1, and experimental compositions A2, B2, and C2.

[0114] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure without departing from its scope or spirit. Other aspects of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of this specification and the content disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are intended to be considered merely exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A rubber composition comprising: A certain concentration of one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes; and One or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers with at least 75 parts (phr) per 100 parts of rubber.

2. The rubber composition of claim 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises about 75 phr to about 150 phr of filler.

3. The rubber composition according to claim 2, wherein the filler comprises at least 40 phr of carbon black.

4. The rubber composition of claim 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises about 1 phr to about 40 phr of residual aromatic extract oil.

5. The rubber composition of claim 1, wherein the rubber composition comprises one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers at a concentration of about 75 phr to about 100 phr.

6. The rubber composition of claim 5, wherein the rubber composition comprises not more than about 95 phr of the one or more solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubbers.

7. The rubber composition according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes is from about 5 phr to about 25 phr.

8. The rubber composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes comprise polyester polymer blocks or derivatives thereof.

9. The rubber composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes comprise polyether polymer blocks or derivatives thereof.

10. The rubber composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more thermoplastic polyurethanes have a hardness of about 30 Shore A to about 90 Shore A.

Images