Bridgestone Corporation

The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company

Other

The Dow Chemical Company

Catalytica, Inc.

Firestone Polymers, LLC

James Oziomek

William L Hergenrother

William M Cole

James E Hall

David F Lawson

Ashley S Hilton

Daniel F Graves

Thomas A Antkowiak

Hideo Takeichi

David M Roggeman

Tristram W Bethea

Russell W Koch

James Herman Pawlow

Jung W Kang

John W Fieldhouse

Louis W Meyer

Timothy Leonard Tartamella

David R Hamm

Kang I Lee

Thomas J Lynch

Joseph H Tazewell

Sunil B Sarkar

Thomas Chester Bouton

Douglas K Hillshafer

James Harwood

David Roggeman

A functionalized polymer defined by the formula where &#x3c0; is a polymer chain, Ris a divalent organic group, and &#x3b2; is a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group, or an amine group, where the amine group can be represented by the formula &#x2014;NR, where at least one R is a monovalent organic group and where the second R is hydrogen or a monovalent organic group, and where the alkoxyl group can be represented by the formula &#x2014;OR', where R&#x2032; is a monovalent organic group.

Functionalized polymers and tires made therefrom

A novel method of preparing carboxyl-terminated polymers. A monomer is mixed with an organolithium initiator in a hydrocarbon solvent so as to anionically polymerize linear living polymer lithium chains. A trialkyl aluminum compound is also mixed so as to form polymer lithium: aluminate complexes in equilibrium with the linear living polymer lithium chains. When a cyclic anhydride terminator is mixed, the cyclic anhydride terminator preferentially reacts with the C&#x2014;Li center on a living polymer lithium chain rather than with the C&#x2014;Al&#x2014;Li center on a polymer lithium: aluminate complex.

Method to reduce coupling during termination with functional end-groups

Provided is a method of converting an anionic living end to a protected free radical 'living' end in a well-controlled manner, which enables copolymerization by plural mechanisms. The method is particularly useful for copolymerization of anionically polymerizable monomers and free radical polymerizable monomers, and therefore useful for production of PB-g-PS, HIPS, ABS, and MBS etc. Also provided is a reversibly coupled polymer, which, when decoupled, generates 'living' free radical for further copolymer chain reaction.

Method of converting anionic living end to protected free radical living end and applications thereof

A process for removing residual polymer from polymerization equipment by combining a degelling agent, residual polymer, and solvent.

Removing gelled unsaturated elastomers from polymerization equipment associated with their production

The present invention provides silica-filled, vulcanized elastomeric compounds comprising an elastomer mixed with at least a silica filler, a processing aid, and a curing agent, and processes for the preparation of the same. Generally, the present invention provides processing aids which effectively reduce or replace the amount (i.e., about 10 percent by weight based upon the silica filler) of the processing aid bis&lsqb;3-triethyoxysilyl)propyl&rsqb;tetrasulfide (&ldquo;Si69&rdquo;) used in the production of silica-filled rubber stocks. These new processing aids include alkyl alkoxysilanes, fatty acid esters of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated sugars and the polyoxyethylene derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof, with or without various non-reinforcing fillers such as mineral fillers. The processing aids do not hinder the physical properties of the compounds and have been found to be excellent substitutes for Si69. The processing aids may be supported on the silica filler or any of the other fillers employed in the composition for improved handling, safety and performance. Processes for the preparation of the silica filled vulcanizable elastomers are provided as well as pneumatic tires employing tread stock comprising the novel vulcanizable elastomers.

Processability of silica-filled rubber stocks

A humidification system (A) for humidifying a dry hydrocarbon stream includes a column ( ) which defines an interior cavity ( ). The cavity is partially filled with a bed ( ) of a packing material ( ) and a layer of water ( ), leaving a headspace above the water. An inlet ( ) adjacent a lower end of the cavity receives a dry hydrocarbon stream which is broken up by the packing material and dissolves water as it passes therethrough. Entrained water droplets fall out of the wet blend in a disengagement zone ( ) above the water layer leaving the hydrocarbon stream humidified yet substantially free of liquid water in an upper region ( ) of the column.

Humidification of hydrocarbon mixtures for use in polymer synthesis

A silica-filled, vulcanized elastomeric compound comprises 100 parts by weight of an elastomer; from about 5 to about 100 parts by weight of a reinforcing filler per 100 parts of elastomer, wherein the reinforcing fillers are selected from the group consisting of carbon black and silica filler; from 0 to about 20 percent by weight of a silane, based upon the weight of the silica filler; a cure agent; from about 0 to about 20 parts by weight of a processing aid selected from the group consisting of fatty acid esters of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated C and C sugars; from about 0 to about 20 parts by weight of a processing aid selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene derivatives of fatty acid esters of hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated C and C sugars; from about 0 to about 40 parts by weight of an additional filler other than silica or carbon black, with the provisos that at least one of the processing aids or additional fillers are present; that if the processing aid is sorbitan monooleate, then at least one of the polyoxyethylene derivatives or additional fillers is also present and, that the minimal amount for each processing aid and additional filler, if present, is about one part by weight. A process for the preparation of silica filled vulcanizable elastomers is provided as well as pneumatic tires employing tread stock comprising the novel vulcanizable elastomers.

Processability of silica-filled rubber stocks with reduced hysteresis

Silica-filled tire tread stocks having reduced hysteresis

The reduction of hysteresis in a silica-filled, vulcanized elastomeric compound is produced by mixing diene monomer and optionally monovinyl aromatic monomer with an initiator and a coordinator; effecting polymerization conditions; terminating polymerization with a terminator containing an organo-tin group to form a tin-coupled diene elastomer; compounding the tin-coupled diene elastomer with an amorphous silica filler and a vulcanization agent; and, effecting vulcanization. A pneumatic tire tread stock incorporating the vulcanized elastomer compound exhibits decreased rolling resistance in the tire.

Elastomers having a reduced hysteresis via interaction of polymer with silica surfaces

Diene polymers and copolymers incorporating partial coupling and terminals formed from hydrocarboxysilane compounds

Incorporation of neutral water soluble inorganic salts into a precipitated silica improves the filler dispersion in a compounded rubber, reduces rolling resistance (hysteresis), and improves processability. These properties are achieved without loss of the expected reinforcement effect due to the substitution of inorganic salt for SiO,in the silica. The properties are seen when a variety of silanes and processing aids are added to the silica.

Addition of salts to improve the interaction of silica with rubber

There is disclosed a process for the regulation of the molecular weight of high cis polybutadiene prepared by polymerizing butadiene under solution polymerization conditions employing as the catalyst system a mixture of (a) organoaluminum compounds; (b) organonickel compounds; and (c) fluorine containing compounds; said polymerization being conducted in the presence of alkali or alkaline earth metal salts of organic carboxylic acids.

Molecular weight regulation of cis-1,4-polybutadiene using carboxylates

Growing community of inventors

Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States of America

James Oziomek