Self-reinforcing rubber and method of making same

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SYNTHETIC RUBBER COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES MIXING A POLYMERIZABLE CONJUGATED DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT WITH A COPOLYMERIZABLE MONO-OLE FINIC COMPONENT SO THAT ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS CONSTITUTES A MAJOR PROPORTION AND THE OTHER A MINOR PROPORTION OF THE WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE, DISPERSING THE MIXTURE IN A CONTINUOUS PHASE OF WATER CONTAINING A SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT AND MAINTAINING THE MIXTURE DISPERSED IN THE PRESENCE OF A POLYMERIZATION CATALYST UNTIL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAID MIXTURE OF SAID POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS HAVE COPOLYMERIZED, THEREAFTER MIXING INTO THE EMULSION THUS FORMED SUFFICIENT OF THE POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENT THAT WAS INITIALLY PRESENT IN MINOR PROPORTION TO CAUSE IT TO BECOME A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE FREE COPOLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS PRESENTS IN SAID MIXTURE AND AGITATING THE MIXTURE UNTIL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF COPOLYMER IS FORMED AFTER THE SECOND ADDITION, THE CONJUGATED DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT BEING 60% TO 95% OF THE TOTAL COPOLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS DURING ONE STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION AFTER ONE OF THE ADDITIONS OF A POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENT AND BEING 2% TO ABOUT 15% OF THE TOTAL OF SAID POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS DURING ANOTHER STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION AFTER ANOTHER ADDITION OF A POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENT THE SAID MONO-OLEFINIC COMPONENT BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 5 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POLYMERIZABLE INGREDIENTS DURING AT LEAST PART OF THE STAGE WHEN THE DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT IS IN EXCESS AFTER ONE OF THE SAID ADDITIONS OF SAID DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT, SAID MONO-OLEFINIC COMPONENT HAVING CONJUGATED DOUBLE BONDS AND SAID DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT HAVING LESS THAN 8 ALIPHATIC CARBON ATOMS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SYNTHETIC RUBBER COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES MIXING A POLYMERIZABLE CONJUGATED DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT WITH A COPOLYMERIZABLE MONO-OLE FINIC COMPONENT SO THAT ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS CONSTITUTES A MAJOR PROPORTION AND THE OTHER A MINOR PROPORTION OF THE WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE, DISPERSING THE MIXTURE IN A CONTINUOUS PHASE OF WATER CONTAINING A SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT AND MAINTAINING THE MIXTURE DISPERSED IN THE PRESENCE OF A POLYMERIZATION CATALYST UNTIL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAID MIXTURE OF SAID POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS HAVE COPOLYMERIZED, THEREAFTER MIXING INTO THE EMULSION THUS FORMED SUFFICIENT OF THE POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENT THAT WAS INITIALLY PRESENT IN MINOR PROPORTION TO CAUSE IT TO BECOME A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE FREE COPOLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS PRESENTS IN SAID MIXTURE AND AGITATING THE MIXTURE UNTIL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF COPOLYMER IS FORMED AFTER THE SECOND ADDITION, THE CONJUGATED DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT BEING 60% TO 95% OF THE TOTAL COPOLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS DURING ONE STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION AFTER ONE OF THE ADDITIONS OF A POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENT AND BEING 2% TO ABOUT 15% OF THE TOTAL OF SAID POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENTS DURING ANOTHER STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION AFTER ANOTHER ADDITION OF A POLYMERIZABLE COMPONENT THE SAID MONO-OLEFINIC COMPONENT BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 5 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POLYMERIZABLE INGREDIENTS DURING AT LEAST PART OF THE STAGE WHEN THE DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT IS IN EXCESS AFTER ONE OF THE SAID ADDITIONS OF SAID DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT, SAID MONO-OLEFINIC COMPONENT HAVING CONJUGATED DOUBLE BONDS AND SAID DIOLEFINIC COMPONENT HAVING LESS THAN 8 ALIPHATIC CARBON ATOMS.