Star polymers and process for the preparation thereof

摘要

Disclosed is a series of star polymer products having at least three polymeric arms which radiate from a nucleus having at least two molecules of a linking compound. The polymeric arms may be copolymers of conjugated dienes and monovinyl aromatic compounds and/or homopolymers of either monomer. A novel process for the preparation of the polymer products includes the steps of forming the polymer arms with an organometallic initiator to form polymers terminated by an active chain end and thereafter forming a nucleus with the simultaneous linking of the active chain ends thereto. The nucleus is formed from at least two molecules of a linking compound each having at least two functional groups.