Method of making condensed phase polymers

Claim 1

A method of preparing a multi-arm copolymer having condensed phase copolymer arms, said method comprising the steps of (A) preparing an elastomeric anionically terminated living copolymer having a condensed phase structure wherein polymer branches occur along a polymer backbone by reacting, under polymerization conditions, the following: (a) hydrocarbyl lithium initiator; (b) at least one anionically polymerizable compound; and (c) a condensing agent having the general formula CH.sub.2 ═C(R')QY(R).sub.n (X).sub.m wherein Y is tetravalent Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb; X is H,-OR", Cl, Br, or F, wherein R" is a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; Q is phenylene; R' is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; m is an integer of 1, 2 or 3; and n is an integer equal to 3-m; and (B) contacting the resulting anionically terminated living copolymer with a multifunctional linking agent under reactive conditions thereby forming a multi-arm copolymer having condensed phase copolymer arms wherein the mole ratio of (a) to (c) is about (1+m):1 and the mole percentage of the condensing agent in each copolymer segment containing said condensing agent is in the range of about 0.01% to about 5%.

Claim 2

A method of preparing a multi-arm copolymer having condensed phase copolymer arms, said method comprising the steps of (A) preparing an elastomeric anionically terminated living copolymer having a condensed phase structure wherein polymer branches occur along a polymer backbone by reacting, under polymerization conditions, the following: (a) hydrocarbyl lithium initiator; (b) at least one anionically polymerizable compound; and (c) a condensing agent having the general formula CH.sub.2 ═C(R')QY(R).sub.n (X).sub.m wherein Y is tetravalent Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb; X is H,-OR", Cl, Br, or F, wherein R" is a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; Q is phenylene; R' is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; m is an integer of 1, 2 or 3; and n is an integer equal to 3-m; and (B) contacting the resulting anionically terminated living copolymer with a multifunctional linking agent under reactive conditions thereby forming a multi-arm copolymer having condensed phase copolymer arms wherein the mole ratio of (a) to (c) is about (1+m):1 and the mole percentage of the condensing agent in each copolymer segment containing said condensing agent is in the range of about 0.01% to about 5%.

Claim 6

A method of preparing an elastomeric copolymer having a condensed phase structure wherein polymer branches occur along a polymer backbone, said method comprising the step of reacting, under polymerization conditions, the following: (a) hydrocarbyl lithium initiator; (b) at least one anionically polymerizable compound; and (c) a condensing agent having the general formula CH.sub.2 ═C(R')QY(R).sub.n (X).sub.m wherein Y is tetravalent Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb; X is H, --OR", Cl, Br, or F, wherein R" is a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; Q is phenylene; R' is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; m is an integer of 1, 2 or 3; and n is an integer equal to 3-m said copolymer is prepared by simultaneously reacting said hydrocarbyl lithium initiator, polymerizable compound and condensing reagent to form a living condensed phase copolymer; and the further step of contacting the resulting copolymer with a multifunctional linking agent under reactive conditions thereby forming a multi-arm copolymer having condensed phase copolymer arms wherein the mole ratio of (a) to (c) is about (1+m):1 and the mole percentage of the condensing agent in each copolymer segment containing said condensing agent is in the range of about 0.01% to about 5%.

Claim 7

A method of preparing an elastomeric copolymer having a condensed phase structure wherein polymer branches occur along a polymer backbone, said method comprising the step of reacting, under polymerization conditions, the following: (a) hydrocarbyl lithium initiator; (b) at least one anionically polymerizable compound; and (c) a condensing agent having the general formula CH.sub.2 ═C(R')QY(R).sub.n (X).sub.m wherein Y is tetravalent Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb; X is H, --OR", Cl, Br, or F, wherein R" is a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; Q is phenylene; R' is hydrogen, a monovalent lower alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl; m is an integer of 1, 2 or 3; and n is an integer equal to 3-m said copolymer is prepared by simultaneously reacting said hydrocarbyl lithium initiator, polymerizable compound and condensing reagent to form a living condensed phase copolymer; and the further step of contacting the resulting copolymer with a multifunctional linking agent under reactive conditions thereby forming a multi-arm copolymer having condensed phase copolymer arms wherein the mole ratio of (a) to (c) is about (1+m):1 and the mole percentage of the condensing agent in each copolymer segment containing said condensing agent is in the range of about 0.01% to about 5%.