Heterogeneous Rubbery Polymers Having Random, Tapered, and Block Portions Therein and Methods of Making Same

• Main Authors: HSU WEN-LIANG, JOHNSON SCOTT EDWARDS, HALASA ADEL FARHAN, LABBE JENNIFER ELIZABETH, HSU LEH-YEH, BUSCH WARREN JAMES, SMITH, SR. DAVID MICHAEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.08.2010
• 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; TYRE CHANGING OR REPAIRING; TYRE INFLATION; VEHICLE TYRES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A heterogeneous rubbery polymer is provided that includes a polymer chain derived from a vinyl aromatic monomer and a conjugated diolefin monomer, wherein from greater than 20 weight percent to about 40 weight percent of units in the rubbery polymer are derived from the vinyl aromatic monomer and from about 60 weight percent to about 80 weight percent of units in the rubbery polymer are derived from the conjugated diolefin monomer. The polymer chain is further characterized by having greater than zero and less than about 30 weight percent of the vinyl aromatic units in sequences containing 1 vinyl aromatic unit, from about 5 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of the vinyl aromatic units in sequences containing 5 to 8 vinyl aromatic units, and greater than zero and less than about 5 weight percent of the vinyl aromatic units in sequences containing 9 or more vinyl aromatic units.