Substantially linear polydiene alcohols having majority of hydroxy groups terminal by preparing polydiene in hydrocarbon and then using ether medium during epoxide addition

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SUBSTANTIALLY PURE LINEAR HYDROXYL-TERMINATED POLYDIENES HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 500 TO 10,000, CHARACTERIZED BY A RATIO OF ALKENYL TO INTERNAL UNSATURATION WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.1 UP TO 1, AND IN WHICH MORE THAN ABOUT 92 PERCENT OF THE POLYDIENE CHAINS ARE TERMINATED WITH PRIMARY HYDROXYL GROUPS WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -60* AND +10*C. A LINEAR LITHIUM-TERMINATED POLYDIENE WITH AN OLEFIN EXIDE IN A SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHERS AND HYDROCARBON-ETHER MIXTURES AND RECOVERING SAID LINEAR HYDROXYL-TERMINATED POLYDIENE, SAID LINEAR LITHIUM-TERMINATED POLYDIENE BEING OBTAINED BY THE REACTION OF A LITHIUM COMPOUND WITH A DIENE IN AN ETHER-FREE HYDROCARBON MEDIUM, SAID POLY-DIENE BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONO- AND DILITHIUM-TERMINATED LINEAR POLY1,3-BUTADIENE, POLYISOPRENE, POLY-1,3-PENTADIENE, POLYCHLOROPRENE, POLY-2,3-DIMETHYL-1,3-BUTADIENE, AND MONOAND DILITHIUM-TERMINATED COPOLYMERS OF STYRENE AND SAID 1,3-DIENES; SAID ETHER BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBYL ALIPHATIC ETHERS AND HYDROCARBYL AROMATIC ETHERS; AND SAID OLEFIN OXIDE BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE, AND STYRENE OXIDE. 2.THE PROCESS OF CLAIM 1 WHEREIN SAID POLYDIENE IS POLY-1,3-BUTADIENE.