Shell Oil Comapny

Kraton Polymers U.S. LLC

Kraton Polymers LLC

Kraton Polymer U.S. LLC

Daniel Earl Goodwin

Carl Lesley Willis

Dale Lee Handlin, Jr

John David Wilkey

Craig A Stevens

David J St Clair

Robert Charles Bening

Michael John Modic

Grant W Haddix

Harvey E Atwood

Pierre Nazareth Tutunjian

Joy P Cocchiara

Zaida Diaz

Thomas Carl Semple

Michael Wayne Potter

Charles Roy Donaho

David Karl Schisla

David K Schisla

Disclosed is an anionic diinitiator prepared using a diisopropenyl benzene compound and an organo lithium compound having primary polymerization sites. The anionic diinitiators are prepared by admixing a diisopropenyl benzene compound with diethyl ether, ethylene, an organo lithium compound, and a solvent under reaction conditions sufficient to prepare a diinitiator having primary lithium alkyl reactive sites. The diinitiators are particularly useful in preparing block copolymers.

Organo-dilithium compound and process for preparing the same

Anionic polymerization diinitiator and process for preparing same

Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having terminal functional groups have minimum viscosity at any molecular weight when the 1,2-addition is between 30% and 70% Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having about two terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule have surprisingly lower viscosities at 30% to 70% 1,2-addition than similar polymers having either higher or lower amounts of 1,2-addition. The polymers are useful in making coatings, sealants, binders, and block copolymers with polyesters, polyamides, and polycarbonates.

Butadiene polymers having terminal functional groups

Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having terminal functional groups have minimum viscosity at any molecular weight when the 1,2-addition is between 30% and 70%. Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having about two terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule have surprisingly lower viscosities at 30% to 70% 1,2-addition than similar polymers having either higher or lower amounts of 1,2-addition. The polymers are useful in making coatings, sealants, binders, and block copolymers with polyesters, polyamides, and polycarbonates.

Disclosed is a process for preparing polymers and copolymer blocks of conjugated dienes with high amounts of branching, commonly referred to as vinyl content, comprising the use of at least two microstructure control agents. One of the microstructure control agents can be a bulk microstructure control agents such as diethyl ether. The other microstructure control agent is a specific microstructure control agent such as 1,2-diethoxypropane. The use of a bulk and a specific microstructure control agent together can allow for the production of high levels of vinyl content at high polymerization rates without the undesirable affects experienced with either one alone.

Conjugated diene polymers and copolymer blocks having high vinyl content prepared using mixed microstructure control agents and process for preparing same

This invention relates to a gel-free process for making functionalized polymers. When multi-alkali metal initiators are used to make these polymers anionically, the process comprises anionically polymerizing at least one monomer with a multi-alkali metal initiator in a hydrocarbon solvent, capping the polymer by adding to the polymer a capping agent that reacts with the ends of the polymer chains such that strongly associating chain ends are formed wherein a strongly associating gel is formed, and, finally, adding a trialkyl aluminum compound to the gel. The important characteristic of the capping agent herein is that it will cap the living polymer and will add a functional group to the polymer chain end which will be strongly associating in the hydrocarbon solvent. In a second embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for making such polymers which comprises anionically polymerizing them as described and adding to the polymer a trialkyl aluminum compound before the alkali metal reacts with the capping agent-functionalized chain ends. Finally, the polymer is capped by adding the above-described capping agent. In the first embodiment, a gel is formed and then removed. In the second embodiment, the gel never is formed because of the presence of the trialkyl aluminum compound.

Gel-free process for making functionalized anionically polymerized polymers

The present invention is an improvement in a method of anionically polymerizing monomers by contacting them with an anionic polymerization initiator which is an organo-substituted alkali metal compound in the presence of low amounts of an accelerator/promoter and/or a highly active microstructure modifier. The improvement comprises adding from 0.1 to 1.0 equivalents of a metal alkyl compound per equivalent of alkali metal initiator wherein alkyl groups of the metal alkyl compound are chosen so that they will not exchange with the organo substituents of the alkali metal compound. The preferred initiator for use herein is the sec-butyl lithium adduct of diisopropenyl benzene and the preferred metal alkyl is triethyl aluminum.

Uniform initiation of anionic polymerization using organo-substituted alkali metal initiators

This invention relates to a gel-free process for making hydrogenated functionalized polymers that mitigates the problem of ionic gel. When multi-alkali metal initiators are used to make these polymers anionically, the process comprises anionically polymerizing at least one monomer with a multi-alkali metal initiator, usually a lithium alkyl, in a hydrocarbon solvent, capping the polymer by adding to the polymer a capping agent that reacts with the ends of the polymer chains such that strongly associating chain ends are formed wherein a strongly associating polymer gel is formed, adding a trialkyl aluminum compound to the polymer gel, whereby the gel dissipates, optionally terminating the polymerization by addition of an alcohol, washing the polymer with aqueous acid, preferably aqueous mineral acid, most preferably phosphoric acid, wherein there is at least one mole of phosphoric acid per mole of alkali metal and at least three moles of phosphoric acid per mole of aluminum, and hydrogenating the polymer with a hydrogenation catalyst. In a second embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for making such polymers which comprises anionically polymerizing them as described and adding a trialkyl aluminum compound prior to the addition of the functionalizing agent and washing the product prior to hydrogenation as described above. In the first embodiment, a gel is formed and then removed. In the second embodiment, the gel never is formed because of the presence of the trialkyl aluminum compound.

Gel-free process for making hydrogenated functionalized anionically polymerized polymers

The preparation of di- or polyfunctional polymers by anionic polymerization using functionalized initiators having the structure R.sup.1 R.sup.2 R.sup.3 Si--A--B, wherein each R is methyl and A is a hydrocarbon bridging group containing from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, and B is an alkali metal, is improved when polymerization occurs in the presence of a polymerization termination inhibitor which is a metal alkyl which has been added at a concentration to afford a molar ratio of the termination inhibitor to living polymer chain ends of about 0.1:1 to about 10:1.

Process for making anionic polymeric di-and polyfunctional polymers

Star polymers of isoprene or butadiene having terminal hydroxyl groups have reduced viscosity when the hydroxyl groups are located on polymeric arms that are grown from the core of the star molecules. The polymers are useful in making coatings, sealants, and binders.

Liquid star polymers having terminal hydroxyl groups

Living anionic polymers of unsaturated monomers are conveniently capped with oxetane or an alkyl substituted oxetane to provide terminal primary hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl capped polymers are useful in making coatings, sealants, binders, and block copolymers with polyesters, polyamides, and polycarbonates.

Capping of anionic polymers with oxetanes

Complete hydrogenation of residual unsaturation in low molecular weight polymers containing conjugated dienes is enhanced by removal of strong lithium bases by filtering or decanting the polymer solution prior to hydrogenation.

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Daniel Earl Goodwin