Patent 7772345 was granted and assigned to SI Group on August, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The invention is related to a hydrocarbylphenol-formaldehyde linear novolak resin modified with a vinyl monomer. A modified, hydrocarbylphenol-formaldehyde linear novolak resin of the invention is prepared by reacting a hydrocarbyl phenol-formaldehyde linear novolak resin with a vinyl monomer in the presence of an acid catalyst. The invention also relates to a rubber compositions with improved tack comprising a rubber or mixture of rubbers, and the modified, hydrocarbylphenol-formaldehyde linear novolak resin.