Diene polymers and copolymers having an alkoxysilane group

Claim 2

A functionalized polymer comprising a conjugated diene polymer or a conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having at least one of an alkoxysilane group, an aryloxysilane group or an aralkyloxysilane group wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular structure selected from the group consisting of formula (1), formula (2), formula (3), and mixtures thereof: ##STR5## wherein P represents a conjugated diene polymer or a conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer; R 1 and R 2 may be the same or different, and are each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms, or R 1 and R 2 may be bonded together with the nitrogen atom to form a heterocyclic ring, wherein the heterocyclic ring may additionally contain an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom; R 3 and R 4 may be the same or different, and are each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms; R 5 is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms; R 6 is selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom and a methylene group; R 7 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; x represents an integer of 1 to 3; x+y and x+y+z each represent an integer of 2 to 4; n represents 0 or 1; and when y is 2 or 3, each R 3 may be the same or different.

Claim 3

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein the functionalized polymer having a molecular structure represented by formula (1) is obtained by steps of polymerizing a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer or a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer with a lithium amide initiator prepared from a secondary amine compound or an imine compound and an organolithium compound, and adding at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkoxysilane compound, an aryloxysilane compound and an aralkyloxysilane compound to the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having a lithium active end obtained in the said step of polymerizing.

Claim 4

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein the functionalized polymer having a molecular structure represented by formula (2) is obtained by steps of polymerizing a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer or a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer with a lithium amide initiator prepared from a secondary amine compound or an imine compound and an organolithium compound, and adding at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkoxysilane compound, an aryloxysilane compound and an aralkyloxysilane compound having an epoxy group to the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having a lithium active end obtained in the said step of polymerizing.

Claim 5

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon copolymer is polybutadiene.

Claim 6

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon copolymer is butadiene/styrene copolymer.

Claim 7

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 1 and R 2 in formula (1) and formula (2) are each selected from the group consisting of: an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each of which has 13 or less carbon atoms, and R 1 and R 2 together with the nitrogen atom are bonded to each other to from the heterocyclic ring having 2 to 13 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 1 and R 2 in formula (1) and formula (2) together with the nitrogen atom are bonded to each other to form the heterocyclic structure having 4 to 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 9

A functionalized polymer according to claim 7, wherein the residue group of an imine compound is the residue group of hexamethyleneimine.

Claim 10

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 3 in formula (1), formula (2), and formula (3) is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 10 or less carbon atoms.

Claim 11

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 4 in formula (1), formula (2), and formula (3) is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and phenyl group.

Claim 12

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 5 in formula (2) and formula (3) is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, each having 6 or less carbon atoms.

Claim 13

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 6 in formula (2) and formula (3) represents an oxygen atom or an unsubstituted methylene group.

Claim 14

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein R 7 in formula (2) and formula (3) is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

Claim 15

A functionalized polymer according to claim 2, wherein the lithium amide is lithium hexamethyleneimine and wherein the at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the alkoxysilane compound, the aryloxysilane compound and the aralkyloxysilane compound is methyltriphenoxysilane.

Claim 16

A functionalized polymer according to claim 3, wherein the lithium amide is lithium hexamethyleneimine and the alkoxysilane compound having an epoxy group is 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

Claim 17

A functionalized polymer according to claim 2, wherein the lithium amide is lithium hexamethyleneimine and wherein the at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the alkoxysilane compound having an epoxy group, the aryloxysilane compound having an epoxy group and the aralkyloxysilane compound having an epoxy is methyltriphenoxysilane.

Claim 18

A functionalized polymer according to claim 1, wherein the methylene group representing R 6 in formula (2) and formula (3) is substituted with a methyl group, an ethyl group or a propyl group.

Claim 19

An elastomeric composition comprising: a rubber material containing a functionalized copolymer in an amount of 10 or more parts by weight in 100 parts by weight of the rubber material, and a filler in an amount of 10 to 100 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber material, wherein the filler contains a white carbon, and the functionalized polymer comprises a conjugated diene polymer or a conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having at least one of an alkoxysilane group, an aryloxysilane group or an aralkyloxysilane group, wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular structure selected from the group consisting of formula (1), formula (2), formula (3), and mixtures thereof: ##STR6## wherein P represents a conjugated diene polymer or a conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer; R 1 and R 2 may be the same or different, and are each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms, or R 1 and R 2 may be bonded together with the nitrogen atom to form a heterocyclic ring, wherein the heterocyclic ring may additionally contain an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom; R 3 and R 4 may be the same or different, and are each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms; R 5 is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms; R 6 is selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom and a methylene group; R 7 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; x represents an integer of 1 to 3; x+y and x+y+z each represent an integer of 2 to 4; n represents 0 or 1; and when y is 2 or 3, each R 3 may be the same or different.

Claim 20

An elastomeric composition comprising: a rubber material containing a functionalized copolymer in an amount of 10 or more parts by weight in 100 parts by weight of the rubber material, and a filler in an amount of 10 to 100 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber material, wherein the filler contains a white carbon, and the functionalized polymer comprises a conjugated diene polymer or a conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having at least one of an alkoxysilane group, an aryloxysilane group or an aralkyloxysilane group, wherein the functionalized polymer has a molecular structure selected from the group consisting of formula (1), formula (2), formula (3), and mixtures thereof: ##STR6## wherein P represents a conjugated diene polymer or a conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer; R 1 and R 2 may be the same or different, and are each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms, or R 1 and R 2 may be bonded together with the nitrogen atom to form a heterocyclic ring, wherein the heterocyclic ring may additionally contain an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom; R 3 and R 4 may be the same or different, and are each selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms; R 5 is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, each having 20 or less carbon atoms; R 6 is selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom and a methylene group; R 7 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; x represents an integer of 1 to 3; x+y and x+y+z each represent an integer of 2 to 4; n represents 0 or 1; and when y is 2 or 3, each R 3 may be the same or different.

Claim 21

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein the functionalized polymer having a molecular structure represented by formula (1) is obtained by steps of polymerizing a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer or a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer with a lithium amide initiator prepared from a secondary amine compound or an imine compound and an organolithium compound, and adding at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkoxysilane compound, an aryloxysilane compound and an aralkyloxysilane compound to the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having a lithium active end obtained in the said step of polymerizing.

Claim 22

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein the functionalized polymer having a molecular structure represented by formula (2) is obtained by steps of polymerizing a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer or a conjugated diene hydrocarbon monomer/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer with a lithium amide initiator prepared from a secondary amine compound or an imine compound and an organolithium compound, and adding at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkoxysilane compound having an epoxy group, an aryloxysilane compound having an epoxy group and an aralkyloxysilane compound having an epoxy group to the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer having a lithium active end obtained in the said step of polymerizing.

Claim 23

A functionalized polymer according to claim 18, wherein the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon copolymer is polybutadiene.

Claim 24

A functionalized polymer according to claim 18, wherein the conjugated diene polymer or the conjugated diene/vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon copolymer is butadiene/styrene copolymer.

Claim 25

A functionalized polymer according to claim 18, wherein R 1 and R 2 in formula (1) and formula (2) are each selected from the group consisting of: an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each of which has 13 or less carbon atoms, and R 1 and R 2 together with the nitrogen atom are bonded to each other to from the heterocyclic ring having 2 to 13 carbon atoms.

Claim 26

A functionalized polymer according to claim 18, wherein R 1 and R 2 in formula (1) and formula (2) together with the nitrogen atom are bonded to each other to form the heterocyclic structure having 4 to 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 27

An elastomeric composition according to claim 24, wherein the residue group of an imine compound is the residue group of hexamethyleneimine.

Claim 28

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein R 3 in formula (1), formula (2), and formula (3) is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an aromatic hydrocarbon group, each having 10 or less carbon atoms.

Claim 29

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein R 4 in formula (1), formula (2), and formula (3) is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and phenyl group.

Claim 30

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein R 5 in formula (2) and formula (3) is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group and an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, each having 6 or less carbon atoms.

Claim 31

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein R 6 in formula (2) and formula (3) represents an oxygen atom or an unsubstituted methylene group.

Claim 32

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein R 7 in formula (2) and formula (3) is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

Claim 33

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein the filler is a white carbon and is present in the composition in an amount of 20 to 60 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber material.

Claim 34

An elastomeric composition according to claim 20, wherein the lithium amide is lithium hexamethyleneimine and the alkoxysilane compound having an epoxy group is 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

Claim 35

An elastomeric composition according to claim 18, wherein the methylene group representing R 6 in formula (2) and formula (3) is substituted with a methyl group, an ethyl group or a propyl group.