Hydrogenation of oil-insoluble diene polymers

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR HYDROGENATING OIL-INSOLUBLE POLYMERS OF CONJUGATED DIENES CONTAINING RESUDIAL UNSATURATION WHICH COMPRISES REACTING THE OIL-INSOLUBLE POLYMER DISPERSED IN A SWELLING AGENT THEREOF WITH HYDROGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A HOMOGENOUS HYDROGENATION COORIDINATION COMPLEX REPRESENTED BY THE FORMULA.

Claim 3

The process according to claim 1 wherein X is selected from the group consisting of halide ion, cyanide ion, thiocyanate ion and hydride ion; Y is selected from the group consisting of carbonyl, trialkylphosphine wherein alkyl has from 1 to 14 carbon atoms, triarylphosphine wherein aryl has from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, mixed alkyl and aryl phosphines, trialkyl arsines and trialkyl stibenes wherein alkyl has from 1 to 14 carbon atoms, triaryl arsines and triaryl stibenes wherein aryl has from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, mixed alkyl and aryl arsines and stibenes, pyridines and substituted pyridines, molecules of organic material which is a solvent for the complex which molecules have an unshared pair of electrons and do not deleteriously affect the catalytic properties of the complex; and Z is stannous chloride.

Claim 4

The process according to claim 2 wherein the swelling agent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic ethers which swelling agent is a solvent for the complex.

Claim 5

The process according to claim 3 wherein the polymer is a copolymer of styrene and butadiene having a residual unsaturation of from about 6.5 to about 17.5 weight percent of

Claim 6

The process according to claim 4 wherein the concentration of copolymer in the dispersion of copolymer in swelling agent is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent based on the total dispersion.

Claim 7

The process according to claim 5 wherein the catalytic amount of complex is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 15 weight parts of complex per 100 weight parts of copolymer.

Claim 8

The process according to claim 5 wherein reaction of the copolymer with hydrogen is effected under pressures of hydrogen in the range of from about 15 to about 2,000 psi and temperatures in the range of from about 15* to about 100*C.

Claim 9

The process according to claim 7 wherein the complex is chlorotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I).

Claim 10

The process according to claim 8 wherein the swelling agent is benzene.

Claim 11

The process according to claim 1 wherein the complex is selected from the group consisting of chlorotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I), chlorocarbonylbis-(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I), and hydrocarbonylbis-(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I).

Claim 12

The process according to claim 1 wherein X is chloride, or hydride ion, Y is trialkyl phosphine having from 1 to 14 carbon atoms, triaryl phosphine having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, triaryl phosphine having from 6 to 14 carbon atoms, mixed alkyl and aryl phosphine or carbonyl and c is zero.