摘要 |
It is important for rubbery polymers that are used in tires, hoses, power transmission belts and other industrial products to have good compatibility with fillers, such as carbon black, silica, clay (including organoclays), and mixtures thereof. To attain improved interaction with fillers such rubbery polymers can be functionalized with various compounds, such as amines. The present invention discloses a process for synthesizing a rubbery polymer that is functionalized to attain improved compatibility with fillers. The present invention more specifically disclosed a process for synthesizing a rubbery polymer that comprises (1) continuously charging (a) a conjugated diolefin monomer, (b) an organolithium compound, and (c) an amine compound into a polymerization zone, wherein the amine compound is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, dialkyl, cycloalkyl or dicycloalkyl amine compounds of the general formula:wherein R represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, or an alkaryl group containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, and cyclic amine compounds of the general formula:wherein R2 represents a divalent alkylene, bicycloalkane, substituted alkylene, oxy- or N-alkylamino-alkylene group containing from about 3 to about 16 methylene groups; (2) allowing the conjugated diolefin monomer to polymerize in the polymerization zone to produce the rubbery polymer; and (3) continuously withdrawing the rubbery polymer from the polymerization zone.
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