Process for the graft polymerization of styrene on alkyl lithium catalyzed polybutadiene using a peroxide catalyst

Claim 1

A PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CONTACTING A CONJUGATED 1,3-DIENE HYDROCARBON WITH A LITHIUM CATALYST OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LITHIUM AND A HYDROCARBYL LITHIUM IN THE PRESENCE OF A DILUENT HAVING A BOILING POINT LOWER THAN 130*C. AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A CONJUGATED 1,3-DIENE HYDROCARBON, AN ALKANE, A CYCLOALKANE, AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, MAINTAINING THE CONJUGATED 1,3-DIENE HYDROCARBON IN CONTACT WITH THE LITHIUM CATALYST AT LEAST UNTIL A RUBBERY POLYMER IS FORMED, ADDING AT LEAST 3 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A MONOVINNYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON/PAT OF RUBBERY POLYMER, DEACTIVATING THE RUBBERY POLYMER TO TERMINATE THE CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF THE LITHIUM CATALYST AT A STAGE AFTER A RUBBERY POLYMER HAS BEEN FORMED AND BEFORE SUFFICIENT MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON HAS BLOCK COPOLYMERIZED WITH THE RUBBERY POLYMER TO FORM A POLYMER CONTAINING MORE THAN 75% BY WEIGHT OF COMBINED MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, STRIPPING THE REACTION MIXTURE OF INGREDIENTS HAVING LOWER BOILING POINTS THAN THE MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON BY DISTILLATION TO PRODUCE A RUBBER IN MONOMER SOLUTION PROVIDING A POLYMERIZABLE MATERIAL, ADDING AN ORGANOPEROXY CATALYST TO THE POLYMERIZABLE MATERIAL AND HEATING SAID POLYMERIZABLE MATERIAL IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID ORGANOPEROXY CATALYST TO PRODUCE POLYMERIZATION OF THE MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON AND GRAFTING OF AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF UPON SAID RUBBERY POLYMER.