Preparation of polymers of conjugated dienes

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PREPARING RUBBERY POLYMERS COMPRISING CONTACTING A CONJUGATED DIENE SUITABLE FOR POLYMERIZATION AND CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 10, INCLUSIVE, CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) A COMPOUND CORRESPONDING TO THE FORMULA A RLIX, WHEREIN R IS A HYDROCARBON RADICAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC, CYCLOALIPHATIC AND AROMATIC RADICALS AND X IS AN INTEGER FROM 1 TO 4, INCLUSIVE, AND (2) MIXTURES OBTAINED BY MIXTING AT LEAST TWO ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS, ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDRIDES OF METALS GROUPS I, II AND III AND ORGANO COMPOUNDS OF GROUPS I, II, III AND IV-B METALS AND THE OTHER OF SAID COMPONENTS BEING A METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GROUP IV-A, GROUP V, GROUP VI AND GROUP VII METAL COMPOUNDS, SAID CONTACTING OCCURING IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROCARBON DILUTE, THE IMPRROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MIXING SAID CONJUGATED DIENE WITH A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL, THEREBY FORMING A CONJUGATED DIENE PHASE AND AN ALCOHOL PHASE, SAID POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL BEING LIQUID UNDER THE MIXING CONDITIONS AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DIHYDRIC AND TRIHYDRIC ALCOHOLS HAVING FROM 2 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE; SEPARATING SAID CONJUGATED DIENE PHASE FROM SAID ALCOHOL PHASE; AND CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH SAID CONJUGATED DIENE PHASE.