Process and product of treating live polymers with divinyl benzene and a haloalkane

Abstract

Abstract A PROCESS DESCRIBED HEREIN INVOLVES A METHOD OF CONVERTING RELATIVELY LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMERS OF CONJUGATED DIENES PREPARED BY ALKALI METAL-CATALYZED POLYMERIZATIONS, SUCH AS ALKYLITHIUM CATALZED POLYMERIZATIONS, AND STILL CONTAINING ACTIVE LITHIUM OR OTHER ALKALI METAL THEREIN, BY POSTREACTION WITH A MIXTURE OF DIVINYL BEZENE AND A HALOALKANE, SUCH AS CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, TO GIVE HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMERS HAVING IMPROVED COLD FLOW RESISTANCE, IMPROVED PROCESSABILITY AND GREEN STRENGTH, ETC. THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE MUCH GREATER THAN CAN BE EFFECTED BY POSTREACTION WITH EITHER DIVINYL BENZENE OR CCL4 INDIVIDUALLY, OR BY HAVING DIVINYL BENZENE PRESENT DURING THE POLYMERIZATION. THE HALOALKANES INCLUDE CHLORO, BROMO AND IODO COMPOUNDS AND CAN HAVE 1-4 OR EVEN MORE HALOGEN ATOMS PER MOLECULE. THE POSTREACTED PRODUCTS ARE HIGHLY BRANCHED ELASTOMERS HAVING A BROAD MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION AND POSSESSING LESS COLD FLOW THAN POLYMERS FROM WHICH THEY ARE PRODUCED. SURPRISINGLY, EVEN THOUGH THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF THE POLYMER IS INCREASED MANY TIMES, THE REACTION PRODUCT DISPLAYS LITTLE OR NO TENDENCY FOR COLD FLOW EVEN AFTER EXTENSION WITH OIL.

Inventors

• 👤 Adel F Halasa
• 👤 Ervin E Schroeder

Bibliographic Details