Preparation of polymers of conjugated dienes using organolithium/polar compound catalyst systems

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A RUBBERY HOMOPOLYMER OF 1,3-BUTADIENE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A MONOMER CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 1,3-BUTADIENE WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST 0.02 PART BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID 1,3-BUTADIENE OF AN ORGANOLITHIUM COMPOUND CORRESPONDING TO THE FORMULA RLI, WHEREIN R IS A RADICAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, ARYL, CYCLOALKYL, ARALKYL, ALKARYL, ALKYLCYCLOAKLYL, AND CYCLOALKYLAKYL, SAID CONTACTING OCCURRING IN THE RANGE OF -80* TO 150*C. AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLVENT MIXTURE, INERT AND LIQUID UNDER CONDITIONS OF THE PROCESS, SAID SOLVENT MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (1) A HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AROMATIC, PARAFFINIC AND CYCLOPARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS AND (2) A POLAR COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHERS, THIOETHERS AND TERTIARY AMINES, THE AMOUNT OF SAID POLAR COMPOUND IN SAID MIXTURE BEING IN THE RANGE OF 0.005 TO 50 WEIGHT PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MIXTURE; AND RECOVERING A RUBBERY HOMOPOLYMER OF SAID 1,3-BUTADIENE.

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A BLOCK POLYMER BY CATALYTIC POLYMERIZATION WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING A MONOMER CONSISTING ESSENTILALLY OF AN ALIPHATIC CONJUGATED DIENE CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 10, INCLUSIVE, CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST 0.02 PART BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID CONJUGATED DIENE OF AN ORGANOLITHIUM COMPOUND CORRESPONDING TO THE FORMULA RLI, WHEREIN R IS A RADIACL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, ARYL, CYCLOALKYL, ARALKYL, ALKARYL, ALKYLCYCLOALKYL AND CYCLOALKYLALKYL, SAID CONTACTING OCCURRING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF -80 TO 150*C. AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLVENT, INERT AND LIQUID UNDER CONDITION SOF THE PROCESS, SAID SOLVENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AROMATIC, PARAFFINIC AND CYCLOPARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS; WHILE SAID POLYMERIZATION IS PROCEDDING, ADDING A POLAR COMPOUND TO SAID HYDROCARBON SOLVENT IN AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE A MIXTURE CONTAINING IN THE RANGE OF 0.005 TO 50 WEIGHT PERCENT OF SAID POLAR COMPOUND, SAID POLAR COMPOUND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHERS, THIOETHERS AND TERTIARY AMINES; ALLOWING SAID POLYMERIZATIONTO PROCEED IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID HYDROCARBON SOLVENT AND SAID POLAR COMPOUND; AND RECOVERING THE BLOCK POLYMER SO PRODUCED.

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A BLOCK POLYMER BY CATALYTIC POLYMERIZATION WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING A MONOMER CONSISTING ESSENTILALLY OF AN ALIPHATIC CONJUGATED DIENE CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 10, INCLUSIVE, CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST 0.02 PART BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID CONJUGATED DIENE OF AN ORGANOLITHIUM COMPOUND CORRESPONDING TO THE FORMULA RLI, WHEREIN R IS A RADIACL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, ARYL, CYCLOALKYL, ARALKYL, ALKARYL, ALKYLCYCLOALKYL AND CYCLOALKYLALKYL, SAID CONTACTING OCCURRING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF -80 TO 150*C. AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLVENT, INERT AND LIQUID UNDER CONDITION SOF THE PROCESS, SAID SOLVENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AROMATIC, PARAFFINIC AND CYCLOPARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS; WHILE SAID POLYMERIZATION IS PROCEDDING, ADDING A POLAR COMPOUND TO SAID HYDROCARBON SOLVENT IN AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE A MIXTURE CONTAINING IN THE RANGE OF 0.005 TO 50 WEIGHT PERCENT OF SAID POLAR COMPOUND, SAID POLAR COMPOUND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHERS, THIOETHERS AND TERTIARY AMINES; ALLOWING SAID POLYMERIZATIONTO PROCEED IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID HYDROCARBON SOLVENT AND SAID POLAR COMPOUND; AND RECOVERING THE BLOCK POLYMER SO PRODUCED.