Hydrogenated polybutadiene and process for producing same

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS WHICH COMPRISES, ADMIXING (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY GEL FREE RUBBERY HOMOPOLYMER OF BUTADIENE HAVING A MONNEY VISCOSITY (ML-4) OF 10 TO 40, SAID POLYMER HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY AN EMULSIION POLYMERIZATION PROCESS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 20*F. TO 60*F., AND SUBSEQUENTLY DRIED IN AN INERT ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 150*F.; (B) A SOLVENT AND DISPERSER FOR SAID POLYBUTADIENE; AND (C) 10 TO 15 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED ON SAID POLYBUTADIENE OF A NICKEL-KIESELGUHR CATALYST HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE OF 1 TO 8 MICRONS AND WHICH HAS BEEN ACTIVATED BY CONTACT WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF 500 TO 800*F.; CONTACTING THE MIXTURE WITH HYDROGEN FOR 2 TO 8 HOURS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 400 TO 600*F. AT A PRESSURE OF 400 TO 600 P.S.I.G., TO A RESIUAL UNSATURATION OF LESS THAN 30 PERCENT; AND RECOVERING THE RESULTING PLASTIC MATERIAL.