The present invention is directed to rubbery block polymers containing a
polylactone, such as polycaprolactone, methods of making the same, and to
rubber compounds containing those block polymers. The rubbery block
polymer is an anionically polymerized block polymer defined by A-B,
wherein A includes at least one type of polymerized conjugated diene
monomer, a polymerized vinyl aromatic monomer, or a mixture thereof and
wherein B is a polylactone, such as polycaprolactone, which is hydroxy
terminated. The rubbery block polymer may be compounded so to provide,
for example, a tire tread with desirable properties for use in an
automobile tire. Such rubber compound, for example, can include the
rubbery block polymer, an organosilane coupling agent, such as a
bis(trialkoxysilyl) alkane, bis(trialkoxysilylalkyl) polysulfide, or
mixtures thereof, and silica filler in specified amounts.