PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF DIENE POLYMERS OR STATISTICAL VINYLARENE-DIENE COPOLYMERS

• Main Authors: SODDU, LUCA, VENERI, GABRIELE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 03.06.2015
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; REPAIRING, OR CONNECTING VALVES TO, INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIESIN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF RUBBERS; TYRE CHANGING OR REPAIRING; TYRE INFLATION; VEHICLE TYRES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A process for the preparation of diene polymers or vinylarene-diene statistical (random) copolymers which comprises the anionic (cp) polymerization, in hydrocarbon solvents, of at least one monomer of a conjugated diene, optionally in the presence of a vinyl aryl monomer, and using a compound belonging to the group of lithium alkyls as initiator, characterized in that the total lithium alkyl initiator is modified in situ by means of a reaction with a compound having general formula (I): Rm-(X-H)n (I) wherein R is a C2-C20 (cyclo) alkyl or C6-C20 aromatic radical, X is a heteroatom belonging to group VA or group VIA of the periodic system, n is an integer higher than or equal to 1, m is an integer>1 which depends on the valence of the heteroatom X.