The General Tire & Rubber Company

Gencorp, Inc.

Other

The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

General Tire, Inc.

Ivan G Hargis

Russell A Livigni

Sundar L Aggarwal

Hubert J Fabris

Robert E Bingham

Richard R Durst

Francis J Vitus

John A Wilson

George B Thomas

Bruce Raymond Hahn

David Andrew Benko

Richard M Wise

Stuart D Nielsen

This invention relates to rubber composition which contains a thermoplastic polymer and use thereof as a tire sidewall component and/or tread supporting ring for use in a tire/rim assembly. Such tire sidewall component may be a sidewall insert and/or apex of a rubber composition which contains a thermoplastic polymer.

Rubber composition containing a thermoplastic polymer and tire sidewall component or tire support ring comprised of such rubber composition

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

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

A tire having a tread exhibiting substantial low rolling resistance, traction and wear comprises a cured compounded carbon black reinforced blend of (A) a star-shaped substantially random vinyl containing rubbery solution polymerized polymer selected from the group consisting of polybutadienes, polyisoprenes, butadiene-styrene copolymers, butadiene-isoprene copolymers, isoprene-styrene copolymers, butadiene-isoprene-styrene copolymers and mixtures of the same and (B) at least one other rubbery diene polymer.

Star-shaped polymers for improved tire treads

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

Divinyl benzene and/or diisopropenyl benzene in hydrocarbon solvent is added over a period of time at low temperature to a hydrocarbon solvent containing a C.sub.2-20 normal, secondary or tertiary alkyl or cycloalkyl lithium compound and a tertiary alkylamine having 2-4 carbon atoms prepared at low temperature to provide an initiator having an average of from 4 to 9 C-Li sites and a VPO Mn of from about 750 to 4,000. These initiators are useful in polymerizing dienes and vinyl monomers to provide star polymers having an average of from about 4 to 9 arms or branches. These star polymers among other things are useful low profile or low shrink additives for FRPs, e.g., glass fiber reinforced plastics.

Preparation of lithium initiator for the preparation of star polymers

Divinyl benzene and/or diisopropenyl benzene in hydrocarbon solvent is added over a period of time at low temperature to a hydrocarbon solvent containing a C.sub.2-20 normal, secondary or tertiary alkyl or cycloalkyl lithium compound and a tertiary alkylamine having 2-4 carbon atoms prepared at low temperature to provide an initiator having an average of from 4 to 9 C-Li sites and a VPO Mn of from about 750 to 4,000. These initiators a re useful in polymerizing dienes and vinyl monomers to provide star polymers having an average of from about 4 to 9 arms or branches. These star polymers among other things are useful low profile or low shrink additives for FRPs, e.g., glass fiber reinforced plastics.

Preparation of star polymers

Divinyl benzene and/or diisopropenyl benzene in hydrocarbon solvent is added over a period of time at low temperature to a hydrocarbon solvent containing a C.sub.2-20 normal, secondary or tertiary alkyl or cycloalkyl lithium compound and a tertiary alkylamine having 2-4 carbon atoms prepared at low temperature to provide an initiator having an average of from 4 to 9 C-Li sites and a VPO Mn of from about 750 to 4,000. These initiators are useful in polymerizing dienes and vinyl monomers to provide star polymers having an average of from about 4 to 9 arms or branches. These star polymers among other things are useful low profile or low shrink additives of FRPs, e.g., glass fiber reinforced plastics.

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 product 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.

A block copolymer of polyalkalene oxide and a polydiene is made by the lithium catalyzed anionic polymerization of a diene followed by polymerization of an alkalene oxide using a double metal cyanide catalyst. The dispersant can be used in forming a crude oil methanol dispersion for transport through unheated pipelines from the North Slope oil fields to Prudhoe Bay.

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Tallmadge, OH, United States of America

Ivan G Hargis