Method of terminating butadiene polymerization

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING 1,3-BUTADIENE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST SYSTEM SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) A CATALYST COMPRISING AN ORGANOMETAL COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA RMM, WHEREIN R IS ALKYL, CYCLOALKYL, ARYL, ALKARYL, ALKYLCYCLOALKYL OR CYCLOALKYLALKYL CONTAINING UP TO 20 CARBON ATOMS, M IS ALUMINUM, MERCURY, ZINC, BERYLLIUM, CADMIUM OR MAGNESIUM, AND M IS EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF THE METAL M, AND TITANIUM TETRAIODIDE, (2) A CATALYST COMPRISING AN ORGANOMETAL COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA RNM'', WHEREIN R IS AN ORGANO RADICAL AS DEFINED ABOVE, M'' IS ALUMINUM, MAGNESIUM OR LEAD, AND N IS EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF THE METAL M'', TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE AND TITANIUM TETRAIODIDE, (3) A CATALYST COMPRISING AN ORGANOMETAL COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA RAM", WHEREIN R IS AN ORGANO RADICAL AS DEFINED ABOVE, M" IS ALUMINUM OR MAGNESIUM AND A IS EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF THE METAL M", A COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA TIXB, WHEREIN X IS CHLORINE OR BROMINE AND B IS AN INTEGER FROM 2 TO 4, INCLUSIVE, AND ELEMENTAL IODINE, (4) A CATALYST COMPRISING AN ORGANOMETAL COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA RXM"'', WHEREIN R IS AN ORGANO RADICAL AS DEFINED ABOVE, M"'' IS ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, INDIUM OR THALLIUM, AND X IS EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF THE METAL M"'', A TITANIUM HALIDE HAVING THE FORMULA TIX4, WHEREIN X IS CHLORINE OR BROMINE, AND AN INORGANIC HALIDE HAVING THE FORMULA MIVIC, WHEREIN MIV IS BERYLLIUM, ZINC, CADMIUM, ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, INDIUM, THALLIUM, SILICON, GERMANIUM, TIN, LEAD, PHOSPHORUS, ANTIMONY, ARSENIC, AND BISMUTH, AND C IS AN INTEGER FROM 2 TO 5, INCLUSIVE, AND (5) A CATALYST COMPRISING AN ORGANO COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA RXM"'', WHEREIN R, M"'' AND X ARE AS DEFINED ABOVE, TITANIUM TETRAIODIDE, AND AN INORGANIC HALIDE HAVING THE FORMULA MVXD, WHEREIN MV IS ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, INDIUM, THALLIUM, GERMANIUM, TIN, LEAD, PHOSPHORUS, ANTIMONY, ARSENIC OR BISMUTH, X IS CHLORINE OR BROMINE, AND D IS AN INTEGER FROM 2 TO 5, INCLUSIVE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO THE POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE A SHORTSHOPPING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONO- AND POLYISOCYANATES AND MONO- AND POLYISOTHIOCYANATES OF THE FORMULA R (NCO)M AND R''(NCS)N WHERE R AND R'' ARE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC, CYCLOALIPHATIC, AND AROMATIC RADICALS OF 2 TO 30 CARBON ATOMS, AND M AND N ARE INTEGERS FROM 1 TO 4.