Patent EP0128607A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0128607A1
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EP
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Elastomeric copolymers, their preparation and their use
Assignee: Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV
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Filing: 1984-05-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-05-16
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to elastomeric copolymers of an aromatic vinyl compound and a conjugated diene, suitable for use in the tread portion of a pneumatic tyre, which copolymers have a vinyl content of at least 30% by weight and comprise at least two polymer chains coupled to one another having a differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound at the ends of the copolymer which changes in a portion of not more than 5% of each polymer chain from a first value to a second value which is at least 25 percentage points higher than the first value, and said portion lies within the free terminal 10% portion of the copolymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion); their preparation and their use in tread portions of tyres. The process of the invention is characterized by employing as structure modifier a compound of formula wherein R' and R 2 are the same or different C 2-18 alkyl groups, and on completion of polymerisation, polymer chains are coupled by means of a coupling agent. The copolymers are characterized by containing a region extending over at least 50% of the polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) wherein the differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound in the polymer chain is at least 5% by weight less than the average content of the aromatic vinyl compound in the copolymer.
Inventors
- 👤 Antonius Augustinus Broekhuis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:26
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08F; C08F236/00; C08F236/02; C08F236/04; C08F236/10; B; B60; B60C; B60C1/00; B60C1/0016
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A process for preparing an elastomeric copolymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and a conjugated diene, which copolymer has a vinyl content of at least 30% by weight and a differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound at the ends of the copolymer which changes in a portion of not more than 5% of the polymer chain (as determined by monaner conversion) from a first value to a second value which is at least 25 percentage points higher than the first value, and said portion lies with the initial 10% of the copolymer chain (as determined by monamer conversion), characterized in that the process employs as structure modifier a compound of formula wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different C 2-18 alkyl groups, and on completion of polymerisation, polymer chains are coupled by means of a coupling agent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A process for preparing an elastomeric copolymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and a conjugated diene, which copolymer has a vinyl content of at least 30% by weight and a differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound at the ends of the copolymer which changes in a portion of not more than 5% of the polymer chain (as determined by monaner conversion) from a first value to a second value which is at least 25 percentage points higher than the first value, and said portion lies with the initial 10% of the copolymer chain (as determined by monamer conversion), characterized in that the process employs as structure modifier a compound of formula wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different C 2-18 alkyl groups, and on completion of polymerisation, polymer chains are coupled by means of a coupling agent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different C 2-6 alkyl groups.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein R 1 and R are the same or different C 4 alkyl groups.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process according to claim 3, wherein R 1 is n-butyl and R 2 is n-butyl or t-butyl.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coupling agent is a tetrafunctional coupling agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the said 5% portion is the initial 5% of the copolymer chain.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bound styrene content of the copolymer is in the range 10 to 40% by weight.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the vinyl content is in the range 30 to 60% by weight.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
An elastomeric copolymer prepared by a process according to any of claims 1 to 9.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
163 words
An elastomeric copolymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and a conjugated diene, which copolymer has a vinyl content of at least 30% by weight and comprises at least two polymer chains coupled to one another having a differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound at the ends of the copolymer which changes in a portion of not more than 5% of each polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) from a first value to a second value which is at least 25 percentage points higher than the first values, and said portion lies within the free terminal 10% portion of the copolymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion), characterized in that each polymer chain contains a region extending over at least 50% of the polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) wherein the differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound in the polymer chain is at least 5% by weight less than the average content of the aromatic vinyl compound in the copolymer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
163 words
An elastomeric copolymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and a conjugated diene, which copolymer has a vinyl content of at least 30% by weight and comprises at least two polymer chains coupled to one another having a differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound at the ends of the copolymer which changes in a portion of not more than 5% of each polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) from a first value to a second value which is at least 25 percentage points higher than the first values, and said portion lies within the free terminal 10% portion of the copolymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion), characterized in that each polymer chain contains a region extending over at least 50% of the polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) wherein the differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound in the polymer chain is at least 5% by weight less than the average content of the aromatic vinyl compound in the copolymer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
A copolymer according to claim 11, wherein the differential content of the aromatic vinyl compound changes in a zone of not more than 2.5% of each polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) from a first value to a second value, said second value being at least 14 percentage points greater than said first value, and said zone lies within the free terminal 10% portion of the copolymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion) .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
A copolymer according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the polymer chains have been coupled to one another by means of a tetrafunctional coupling agent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A copolymer according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the said 5% portion is the free terminal 5% portion of the copolymer chain.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A copolymer according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the aromatic vinyl compound is present in the copolymer in an amount in the range 10 to 40% by weight of the copolymer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A copolymer according to any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the vinyl content is in the range 30 to 60% by weight.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A copolymer according to any of claims 11 to 16, wherein the said region extends over 50 to 70% of the polymer chain (as determined by monomer conversion).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
A copolymer according to claim 11 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
An unvulcanised elastomeric composition comprising a blend of an elastomeric copolymer as claimed in any of claims 10 to 18 with vulcanisation compounding ingredients.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
A tyre whose tread has been formed by vulcanising an elastomeric composition as claimed in claim 19.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB2071117A
Cited
GB2075524A
Cited
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