The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Jin-Ping Zhou

Adel Farhan Halasa

Wen-Liang Hsu

Chad Aaron Jasiunas

Paul Harry Sandstrom

Aaron Michael Ryba

Corey Stanton Yon

Teresa Diane Martter

This invention discloses a process for the synthesis of a rubbery polymer by emulsion polymerization that comprised polymerizing (1) a conjugated diolefin monomer and (2) a functionalized monomer having the structural formula: wherein the Rgroups can be the same or different and represent hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups containing from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, wherein Rrepresents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, wherein Rrepresents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, and wherein Rrepresents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, with the proviso that if Rrepresent an alkyl group then Rrepresents a hydrogen atom, and with the proviso that Rrepresents an alkyl group then Rrepresents a hydrogen atom, wherein said polymerization is conducted in an aqueous medium, and wherein said polymerization is initiated with a free radical initiator.

Functionalized rubbery polymers

The neodymium catalyst system prepared by the technique of this invention can be used in the polymerization of isoprene monomer into synthetic polyisoprene rubber having an extremely high cis-microstructure content and high stereo regularity. This polyisoprene rubber will crystallize under strain and can be compounded into rubber formulations in a manner similar to natural rubber. This invention more specifically discloses a process for the synthesis of polyisoprene rubber which comprises polymerizing isoprene monomer in the presence of a neodymium catalyst system, wherein the neodymium catalyst system is prepared by a process that comprises (1) reacting a neodymium carboxylate with an organoaluminum compound in an organic solvent to produce neodymium-aluminum catalyst component, and (2) subsequently reacting the neodymium-aluminum catalyst component with an elemental halogen to produce the neodymium catalyst system, wherein the neodymium catalyst system is void of nickel-containing compounds.

Synthetic polyisoprene rubber

The neodymium catalyst system prepared by the technique of this invention can be used in the polymerization of isoprene monomer into synthetic polyisoprene rubber having an extremely high cis-microstructure content and high stereo regularity. This polyisoprene rubber will crystallize under strain and can be compounded into rubber formulations in a manner similar to natural rubber. This invention more specifically discloses a process for preparing a neodymium catalyst system which comprises (1) reacting a neodymium carboxylate with an organoaluminum compound in an organic solvent to produce neodymium-aluminum catalyst component, and (2) subsequently reacting the neodymium-aluminum catalyst component with an elemental halogen to produce the neodymium catalyst system. The present invention further discloses a synthetic polyisoprene rubber which is comprised of repeat units that are derived from isoprene, wherein the synthetic polyisoprene rubber has a cis-microstructure content which is within the range of 98.0% to 99.5%, a 3,4-microstructure content which is within the range of 0.5% to 2.0%, and a trans-microstructure content which is within the range of 0.0% to 0.5%.

This invention discloses a process for synthesizing an amine functionalized monomer that comprises (1) reacting a secondary amine with a 2,3-dihalopropene to produce a vinyl halide containing secondary amine having a structural formula selected from the group consisting ofwherein R and R' can be the same or different and represent allyl, alkoxyl or alkyl groups containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, and wherein X represents a halogen atom, and wherein m represents an integer from 4 to about 10, and wherein X represents a halogen atom; and (2) reacting the vinyl halide containing secondary amine with a vinyl magnesium halide to produce the monomer having a structural formulawherein R and R&#x2032; can be the same or different and represent alkyl, allyl or alkoxyl groups containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, and wherein m represents an integer from about 4 to about 10.

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

Jin-Ping Zhou