Bridgestone Corporation

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

David M Roggeman

Terrence Eugene Hogan

David F Lawson

Christine M Rademacher

Fuminori Ota

William L Hergenrother

Yuan-Yong Yan

Jung W Kang

James E Hall

Daniel F Graves

Zengquan Qin

Takatsugu Hashimoto

Jason T Poulton

James Oziomek

Shigeaki Matsuo

James J Kuhel, Jr

Steven Luo

William M Cole

Yoichi Ozawa

Thomas A Antkowiak

James Herman Pawlow

Mark L Stayer

Xiao-Dong Pan

Yasuo Horikawa

Koji Masaki

Arthur E Oberster

H Jerrold Miller

Timothy Leonard Tartamella

Ralph A Maglio

Shrikant R Malani

William J Kern

Mario N De Trano

Embodiments are directed to anionic rubber polymerization processes conducted in a non-aqueous dispersion utilizing conjugated diene and vinyl aromatic monomers and a dispersing agent formed in-situ during the polymerization process.

Anionic dispersion polymerization process to make random copolymer rubber

A process for preparing a polydiene having increased viscosity and reduced cold flow that includes polymerizing a conjugated diene monomer in the presence of a lanthanide-containing compound to form an intermediate polymer, and then adding a non-organometallic trimellitate ester compound as a coupling agent to raise the viscosity of the intermediate polymer. The coupling agent is added to the intermediate polymer mixture in an amount of about 0.01 to about 0.15 parts per hundred monomer (phm) of the starting monomer amount.

Method for producing polydienes with reduced cold flow

An ethylenically unsaturated polymer includes at a terminus the radical of an allylic compound that includes a functional group free of active hydrogen atoms that is bonded to the allylic C atom through a S, P, Si or Sn atom and a vinyl aromatic compound. The polymer can be used as a component of a variety of elastomeric compounds used in the production of vulcanizates.

Functional initiator for anionic polymerization

Metallated aminosilane compounds for use as functional initiators in anionic polymerizations and processes for producing an aminosilane-functionalized polymer using the metallated aminosilane compounds to initiate anionic polymerization of at least one type of anionically polymerizable monomer. Preferred use of the metallated aminosilane compounds results in rubber compositions for use in tires comprising an aminosilane functionalized polymer.

Processes for preparing aminosilane functionalized polymers

Aminosilane initiators and functionalized polymers prepared therefrom

An ethylenically unsaturated polymer includes at a terminus the radical of a compound that is the reaction product of a secondary amine and a vinyl aromatic compound. The secondary amine portion of the compound can be a cyclic compound with N as one of its ring atoms, while the vinyl aromatic compound can include one or more substituents. The polymer can be used as a component of a variety of elastomeric compounds used in the production of vulcanizates.

Embodiments provide polydienes and diene copolymers having organophosphines functionality. Specific embodiments employ phosphorus-containing organometal initiators and copolymers prepared by anionically polymerizing conjugated diene monomer and vinyl organophosphine.

Polydienes and diene copolymers having organophosphine functionality

Disclosed herein are metallated aminosilane compounds for use as functional initiators in anionic polymerizations and processes for producing an aminosilane-functionalized polymer using the metallated aminosilane compounds to initiate anionic polymerization of at least one type of anionically polymerizable monomer. Preferred use of the metallated aminosilane compounds results in rubber compositions for use in tires comprising an aminosilane functionalized polymer. A telechelic polymer may result from use of the metallated aminosilane compound and a functional terminator.

In general the present invention provides a process for forming conjugated diene polymer, the process comprising the step of polymerizing conjugated diene monomer in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst composition formed by combining (a) a nickel-containing compound, (b) an alkylating agent, (c) a fluorine-containing compound, (d) a carboxylic acid, and (e) an alcohol.

Nickel-based catalyst composition

A group of compounds defined by the general formula (I) can be used to anionically initiate polymerization of unsaturated monomers. In the formula, M is an alkali metal atom, Ris an aryl group having at least one ORsubstituent group where each Ris a group that is nonreactive toward M, and R is a hydrocarbyl group. The subject initiators can be used in semi-batch and continuous polymerization processes, even those which are performed at elevated temperatures.

Anionic polymerization initiators and processes

Aminosilane initiators, functionalized polymers prepared therefrom and related processes

A method of preparing a polymer, the method comprising: metalating an organophosphine compound in the substantial absence of monomer to form a metalated organophosphine; and introducing the metalated organophosphine to monomer including conjugated diene monomer to form a reactive polymer.

Preparation of functional polymers using phosphide initiators

Growing community of inventors

North Royalton, OH, United States of America

David M Roggeman