US Patent 10023723 Process for preparing rubber compositions and articles made therefrom

A process for preparing a rubber composition comprises:(a) forming a mixture of:(i) at least one thiocarboxyl-functional hydrolyzable silane,(ii) at least one rubber containing carbon-carbon double bonds,(iii) at least one silane-reactive filler,(iv) at least one activating agent, and(v) water;(b) mixing the composition formed in step (a) under reactive-mechanical-working conditions and in the absence of vulcanizing agent(s);(c) adding at least one vulcanizing agent (vi) to the composition of step (b);(d) mixing the composition of step (c) under non-reactive-mechanical-working conditions; and,(e) optionally, curing the rubber composition of step (d).