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US4814386A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

ABC block copolymers based on butadiene and isoprene, process for their preparation and use

Assignee: Huels AG
•
Filing: 1987-08-14
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Granted: 1989-03-21
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Expires: 2007-08-14
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Abstract

Abstract ABC block copolymers on the basis of butadiene, isoprene and optionally styrene, are provided by a polymerization process wherein the resultant block copolymer comprises: about 40 to 75 wt % of a block A based on butadiene (uniformly distributed vinyl group content less than about 15 wt %), up to about 25 wt % of a block B based on butadiene and isoprene (vinyl content less than about 15 wt %) or based on butadiene (vinyl content more than about 75 wt %) about 20 to 55 wt % of a block C based on butadiene and isoprene (vinyl content more than about 75 wt %). The ABC block copolymers are useful for the production of tire treads.

Inventors

  • 👤 Walter Hellermann
  • 👤 Christoph Herrmann
  • 👤 Hans-Bernd Fuchs
  • 👤 Karl-Heinz Nordsiek
  • 👤 Jurgen Wolpers
  • 👤 Hans-Eberhard von Portatius

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 17:53
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08F; C08F293/00; C08F297/00; C08F297/02; B; B60; B60C; B60C1/00; B60C1/0016; C08F297/04; C08F297/046; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S152/00; Y10S152/905; Y10S525/00; Y10S525/914

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim 112 words
An unsaturated elastomeric block copolymer comprising: (a) about 40-75 wt% of a block A consisting of butadiene units and having a content of uniformly distributed vinyl groups of less than about 15 wt%; (b) about 1-25 wt% of a block B containing butadiene and isoprene units with a vinyl content of less than about 15 wt%, or butadiene units having a vinyl content of more than about 75 wt%; and (c) about 20-55 wt% of a block C containing butadiene and isoprene units having a vinyl content of more than about 75 wt%, wherein the total monomer concentrations are about 40-80 wt% 1,3-butadiene, about 5-40 wt% isoprene and about 0-30 wt% styrene.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 112 words
An unsaturated elastomeric block copolymer comprising: (a) about 40-75 wt% of a block A consisting of butadiene units and having a content of uniformly distributed vinyl groups of less than about 15 wt%; (b) about 1-25 wt% of a block B containing butadiene and isoprene units with a vinyl content of less than about 15 wt%, or butadiene units having a vinyl content of more than about 75 wt%; and (c) about 20-55 wt% of a block C containing butadiene and isoprene units having a vinyl content of more than about 75 wt%, wherein the total monomer concentrations are about 40-80 wt% 1,3-butadiene, about 5-40 wt% isoprene and about 0-30 wt% styrene.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of isoprene units in block B is 0-33 wt%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of butadiene units in block C is about 5-40 wt%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein block B contains up to 40 wt% styrene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 16 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein block C contains up to 40 wt% styrene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
A block copolymer according to claim 4, wherein block C contains up to 40 wt% styrene.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 13 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein said block copolymer is branched.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 101 words
A polymerization process for the production of block copolymers according to claim 1, comprising anionic polymerization of monomers in an inert organic solvent and in the presence of a Li-organic compound acting as a catalyst, wherein (a) block A is produced by polymerizing butadiene in the absence of a cocatalyst; (b) block B is produced by polymerizing (1) a mixture of butadiene and isoprene in the absence of a cocatalyst, or (2) polymerizing butadiene in the presence of a cocatalyst; and (c) a block C is produced by polymerizing a mixture of butadiene and isoprene in the presence of a cocatalyst.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 43 words
A process according to claim 8, wherein the entire butadiene feed of the process is introduced at the start of the polymerization process and step (b), without addition of butadiene, is performed after at least about 40 wt% conversion of the monomeric butadiene.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 52 words
A process according to claim 8, wherein block B is produced by step (b) (1) and the entire isoprene feed of the process is introduced during step (b) (1) and the polymerization of block C is performed after at least about 40 wt% conversion of monomeric butadiene and isoprene has been attained.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process according to claim 8, further comprising adding styrene during step (b) as a comonomer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process according to claim 8, further comprising adding styrene during step (c) as a conomoer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process according to claim 11, further comprising adding styrene during step (c) as a comonomer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process according to claim 8, wherein a monofunctional Li-organic compound is employed as a catalyst.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 48 words
A process according to claim 8, wherein glycol ethers of the formula R 1 --(O--CH 2 --CH 2 ) n --O--R 2 are employed as cocatalyst, wherein n=1 or 2 and R 1 and R 2 each independently represent an alkyl moiety having 1 to 4 C atoms.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
A process according to claim 15, wherein n=1 and the alkyl moieties R 1 and R 2 of the glycol ether have different numbers of C atoms.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
A process according to claim 8, further comprising subjecting the polymers obtained after complete polymerization to branching by addition of a coupling agent.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 26 words
A process according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the process steps (a)-(c) of the polymerization process is performed in the presence of divinylbenzene.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 29 words
In a process for the manufacture of tire treads, wherein the improvement comprises employment of a block copolymer according to claim 1 for the manufacture of said tire treads.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 10 words
A tire tread comprising a block copolymer of claim 1.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 34 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein said copolymer contains 40-65 wt% of block A and block A consists of butadiene units with a content of uniformly distributed vinyl groups of 8-15 wt%.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 42 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein said copolymer contains 5-15 wt% of block B and block B contains either butadiene and isoprene units with a vinyl content of 8-15 wt% or butadiene units with a vinyl content of 75-90 wt%.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 31 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein said copolymer contains 30-50 wt% of block C and block C comprises butadiene and isoprene units having a vinyl content of 75-90 wt%.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 14 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein block B comprises 5-40 wt% styrene.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 14 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein block C comprises 5-40 wt% styrene.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 19 words
A block copolymer according to claim 7, wherein the amount of branching within the block copolymer is 50-90 wt%.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 43 words
A process according to claim 9, wherein the entire butadiene feed of the process is introduced at the start of the polymerization process and step (b), without addition of butadiene, is performed after at least about 50 wt% conversion of the monomeric butadiene.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 52 words
A process according to claim 10, wherein block B is produced by step (b) (1) and the entire isoprene feed of the process is introduced during step (b) (1) and the polymerization of block C is performed after at least about 45 wt% conversion of monomeric butadiene and isoprene has been obtained.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 32 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein said block copolymer has a Mooney viscosity of about 40-140, a nonuniformity of about 0.5-5.0 and a Defo elasticity of greater than about 10.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 29 words
A block copolymer according to claim 1, wherein said block copolymer has a Mooney viscosity of 35-120, a nonuniformity of 0.6-3.0 and a Defo elasticity of greater than 20.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB1231657A Cited
US4413098A Cited
GB2090840A Cited
US4673709A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-03-20 1992-09-19 1993-03-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-03-20 1996-09-19 1997-03-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-03-20 2000-09-19 2001-03-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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