abstract |
This invention discloses a tire which is comprised of a generally toroidal-shaped carcass with an outer circumferential tread, two spaced beads, at least one ply extending from bead to bead and sidewalls extending radially from and connecting said tread to said beads, wherein said tread is adapted to be ground-contacting, and wherein said tread is comprised of (1) a filler, (2) a cured rubbery polymer, and (3) core-shell particles which are comprised of (a) a crosslinked elastomeric core consisting essentially of repeat units that are derived from at least one conjugated diolefin monomer and from 15 weight percent to 30 weight percent at least one crosslinking monomer, wherein the crosslinked elastomeric core is a polymeric composition having a glass transition temperature which is within the range of −20° C. to 20° C., and (b) a polymeric shell which is derived from at least one vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the polymeric shell has a glass transition temperature which is within the range of 50° C. to 160° C., and wherein the weight ratio of the core to the shell is within the range of 20:1 to 7:1. |