High strength hydrogenated polymers, and rubber compositions incorporating same

A hydrogenated functionalized copolymer produced from the steps of:

• producing a living copolymer from the anionic polymerization of at least one conjugated diolefin monomer and at least one vinyl aromatic monomer;
• producing a functionalized copolymer by reacting the living copolymer with at least one silane modifier comprising an alkoxysilane compounds, arylalkylalkoxysilane compounds, tetraalkoxysilane compounds, alkylalkoxysilane compounds, alkenylalkoxysilane compounds, halogenoalkoxysilane compounds;
• and
• producing the hydrogenated functionalized copolymer by hydrogenating the functionalized copolymer in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising nickel,
• wherein the hydrogenated functionalized copolymer has a degree of hydrogenation of 75 mol % to 98 mol % as measured using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR);
• wherein the functionalized copolymer has an initial vinyl content prior to hydrogenation of from 30% to 60%;
• and
• wherein the functionalized copolymer comprises from 10 wt % to 25 wt % styrene and from greater than 0% to 7.1% styrene block content, and wherein the styrene block comprises greater than or equal to three repeat styrene monomer units.