Bulk polymerization process
AssigneeBridgestone Corporation
InventorsTimothy Tartamella, William Cole, Mark Smale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the continuous production of polydienes, the method comprising the steps of (a) charging a mixture of one or more monomer, catalyst system, and less than 50% weight percent organic solvent based on the total weight of the monomer, catalyst and solvent, into first vessel, (b) polymerizing the monomer to a conversion of up to 20% by weight of the monomer to form a mixture of reactive polymer and monomer, (c) removing the mixture of reactive polymer and monomer from the vessel, and (d) terminating the reactive polymer prior to a total monomer conversion of 25% by weight.
Claims14
A method for continuously polymerizing conjugated diene monomer, the method comprising:
- continuously introducing conjugated diene monomer, a cobalt-based catalyst system, and optionally organic solvent to a first vessel to form a mixture, where the monomer polymerizes to form polymer in the presence of the cobalt-based catalyst system, and where the mixture includes less than 50% by weight organic solvent based on the total weight of the monomer, polymer, and solvent;
- and
- continuously removing the mixture from the first vessel prior to maximum monomer conversion of up to about 20%, where the method produces branch polydienes characterized by having a solution viscosity less than that of a linear polymer of the same molecular weight.
A method for continuously polymerizing conjugated diene monomer, the method comprising:
- continuously introducing conjugated diene monomer, a lanthanide-based catalyst system, and optionally organic solvent to a first vessel to form a mixture, where the monomer polymerizes to form a reactive polymer in the presence of the lanthanide-based catalyst system, and where the mixture includes less than 20% by weight organic solvent based on the total weight of the monomer, polymer, and solvent;
- and
- continuously removing the mixture from the first vessel prior to a maximum monomer conversion of up to about 20%;
- transferring the mixture removed from the first vessel to a second vessel;
- and
- continuously quenching the mixture within the second vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.