The General Tire & Rubber Company

Gencorp, Inc.

General Tire, Inc.

Hubert J Fabris

Russell A Livigni

Earl G Melby

Ivan G Hargis

Sundar L Aggarwal

Harry W Cocain

John A Wilson

Robert E Bingham

Richard R Durst

I Glen Hargis

Gerd M Lenke

Kohji Y Chihara

Heinz Uelzmann

David R Sponseller

George B Thomas

David P Gruber

Robert J Herold

Richard M Wise

Arden E Schmucker

Edwin Morgan Maxey

Joe S Duncan

Roy J Emerson

James L Cowell

The present invention provides an emulsion polymerization synthetic isoprene-styrene/butadiene rubber for use in improved tire tread compositions is provided. The improved composition is a blend of a 1,4 cis-polyisoprene such as natural rubber and a synthetic rubber produced by emulsion polymerization which synthetic rubber includes isoprene and either styrene or butadiene or both styrene and butadiene. The tire tread composition has an excellent balance of good wear resistance and low rolling resistance as well as a low T.sub.g and good traction. These improved qualities for tire tread compositions have heretofore been unavailable in rubbers utilizing emulsion polymers, and have been achievable only with tire compositions including synthetic rubbers that are produced by solution polymerization.

Tire tread compositions of isoprene-styrene/butadiene emulsion polymers

Liquid telechelic polymers are made from dienes and are produced via anionic polymerization. While having low molecular weight, for example less than 15,000, the telechelic polymers are generally gel-free, have high amounts of trans-1,4 structure, low vinyl unsaturation and low bulk viscosities. The liquid telechelic polymers are made utilizing a trimetallic initiator comprised of (1) an organopolylithium compound and (2) a complex of a trialiphatic substituted aluminum compound or derivative thereof and a barium salt of an organic alcohol.

Liquid telechelic polymers having high 1,4-diene structure

Liquid telechelic polymers are made from dienes and are produced via anionic polymerization. While having low molecular weight, for example less than 15,000, the telechelic polymers are generally gel-free, have high amounts of trans-1,4 structure, low vinyl unsaturation and low bulk viscosities. The liquid telechelic polymers are made utilizing a trimetallic initiator comprised of (1) an organopolylithium compound and (2) a complex of a trialiphatic substituted aluminum compound or derivative thereof and a barium salt of an aromatic alcohol.

Anionic initiator system for polymerizing monomers

Sheet molding compounds are thickened (or maturated) via 'in situ' formation of polyureas made from aromatic primary diamines with reduced basicity and diisocyanates. The molding compounds, which can optionally contain mineral fillers such as chopped glass fiber, are generally based upon unsaturated polyester resins having a high percentage of hydroxyl end groups, polymerizable vinyl compounds such as styrene, and the like. The thickened compositions are tack-free and compression moldable after less than one day, typically after less than several hours, into permanently shaped, strong rigid articles, such as automotive body parts. A viscosity plateau is reached and maintained by the maturated compounds of the present invention for extended periods of time, e.g., several weeks.

Thickened molding resin compositions and cured molded compounds

Pelletized thermoplastic polymers or resins containing (--CONH--) groups such as the nylons can readily be brominated or chlorinated in organic solvents to convert the (--NH--) units to (--NBr--) or (--NCl--) units and to form solutions of the N-brominated or N-chlorinated thermoplastic polymers or resins. These N-brominated or N-chlorinated thermoplastic polymer solutions can be coated on a cellular or solid rubbery hydrocarbon polymer substrate, such as an EPDM rubber in the form of a weatherstrip or glass run channel, dried and irradiated with ultraviolet light or heated at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to reform the amide (--CONH--) groups and to provide the rubbery substrate with an adherent and abrasion resistant coating which also exhibits reduced ice adhesion and coefficient of friction.

Abrasion resistant coatings

Thermoplastic polymers or resins containing amide groups such as the nylons can readily be brominated or chlorinated in organic solvents to convert the (--NH--) units to (--NBr--) or (--NCl--) units and to form solutions of the N-brominated or N-chlorinated thermoplastic polymers or resins. These N-brominated or N-chlorinated thermoplastic polymer or resin solutions can be blended with silicones (siloxanes) and optionally with at least one finely divided material selected from the group consisting of inorganic and organic fillers and pigments and then can be coated on a cellular or solid rubbery hydrocarbon polymer substrate, such as an EPDM rubber in the form of a weatherstrip or glass run channel, dried and irradiated with ultraviolet light or heated at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to reform the amide groups and to provide the rubbery substrate with an adherent and abrasion resistant coating which also exhibits a reduced coefficient of friction.

Coatings which are abrasion resistant

Rubbery high trans-high vinyl diblock copolymers, blends of rubbery high trans copolymers and rubbery high vinyl polymers, and mixtures (alloys or blends) of said diblock copolymers, high trans copolymers and high vinyl polymers are useful in producing tire treads exhibiting good processibility, good rolling resistance, skid resistance and abrasion resistance. The high trans block or copolymer comprises a copolymer of butadiene-1,3 and styrene and/or isoprene and the high vinyl block or polymer comprises polybutadiene or copolymers of butadiene and styrene and/or isoprene. These di-block copolymers, copolymers and polymers are made by solution polymerization. The diblock copolymer may be made by copolymerizing butadiene and styrene and/or isoprene using a Ba, Ca or Sr alcoholate, R.sub.2 Mg and R.sub.3 Al to from about 60 to 95% conversion to a high trans block and then adding (optionally more Bd with or without Sty and/or isoprene) a strong Lewis base and a Na, K or Rb alkoxide and continuing the polymerization to completion to obtain the high vinyl block of the di-block copolymer.

High trans butadiene based carbon black reinforced compositions

Tire tread having high trans butadiene based elastomeric block

High trans butadiene based elastomeric block copolymers and blends

Flexible thermoplastic vinyl chloride polymers are prepared by graft or over copolymerizing said polymers with a mixture of certain acrylates and nitriles or by blending said vinyl chloride polymer with a terpolymer of certain acrylates and nitriles.

Acrylate terpolymers and flexible thermoplastic vinyl chloride polymers

Flexible thermoplastic vinyl chloride polymers

Flexible thermoplastic vinyl chloride polymers and acrylate terpolymers

A composition useful as a catalyst in solution polymerization comprises (1) a barium, calcium and/or strontium alcoholate, (2) an organoaluminum compound and (3) an organomagnesium compound. (2) and (3) may be used as a complex with (1). The compositions can be used to polymerize ethylenically unsaturated monomers like butadiene, butadiene and styrene, and isoprene and heterocyclic monomers like oxiranes, thiiranes, siloxanes, thiatanes and lactams. The catalyst composition can produce polybutadienes and butadiene-styrene copolymers having a trans-1,4 content as high as 90%. The non-terminating features of the polymerization of this invention permit the preparation of functionally terminated butadiene based polymers and block polymers containing sufficient amounts of trans-1,4 butadiene units to crystallize.

Solution polymerization

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Hubert J Fabris