| abstract |
A vulcanized rubber composition comprising the vulcanization product of a functional polymer, where the functional polymer is defined by the formula n n n n n n n n n n where R is selected from C 1 to C 6 trialkyl-silyl groups, C 1 to C 20 alkyl groups, C 4 to C 20 cycloalkyl groups, C 6 to C 20 aryl groups, thienyl, furyl, and pyridyl groups; and R may optionally have attached thereto any of the following functional groups: C 1 to C 10 alkyl groups, C 6 to C 20 aryl groups, C 2 to C 10 alkenyl groups, C 3 to C 10 non-terminal alkynyl groups, ethers, tert-amines, oxazolines, thiazolines, phosphines, sulfides, silyls, and mixtures thereof; where R 1 is selected from C 2 to C 8 alkylene groups, where X is NR, and where π is a polymer chain. |