The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 21, 1997
Filed:
Feb. 12, 1996
Adel Farhan Halasa, Bath, OH (US);
Laurie Elizabeth Austin, Hartville, OH (US);
Wen-Liang Hsu, Cuyahoga Falls, OH (US);
Bill Bud Gross, Stow, OH (US);
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, OH (US);
Abstract
The subject invention relates to a technique for synthesizing rubbery copolymers of styrene and butadiene and/or isoprene. These rubbers exhibit an excellent combination of properties for utilization in high performance tire tread rubber compounds. The subject invention specifically discloses a process for preparing a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) which comprises: copolymerizing from about 30 weight percent to about 55 weight percent styrene and from about 45 weight percent to about 70 weight percent 1,3-butadiene in an alkane solvent, such as hexane, at a temperature which is within the range of about -10.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C. in the presence of (a) an alkali metal alkoxide, and (b) an organolithium compound, wherein the molar ratio of the alkali metal alkoxide to the organolithium compound is within the range of about 0.01:1 to about 1:1. The subject invention further discloses a process for preparing a rubbery copolymer of styrene and isoprene having an excellent combination of properties for use in making tire treads by a solution polymerization process which comprises: copolymerizing from about 30 weight percent to about 55 weight percent styrene and from about 45 weight percent to about 70 weight percent isoprene in an alkane solvent at a temperature which is within the range of about -10.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C. in the presence of (a) an alkali metal alkoxide, and (b) an organolithium compound, wherein the molar ratio of the alkali metal alkoxide to the organolithium compound is within the range of about 0.01:1 to about 1:1.