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US 2010/0137520 A1Published application
Branched Polymers and Methods for Their Synthesis and Use
AssigneeBridgestone Corporation
InventorsChristopher G. Robertson, Sandra Warren, James Hall, Georg G.A. Böhm, Mark Arigo, Steven Luo, Hiroshi Mouri, Jessica Kurasch, Noriko Mori
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Abstract
Branched polymers including multi-branched polymers, functionalized branched polymers, star-branched polymers, and dendigraft polymers. Methods for the synthesis of branched polymers and method for the use of branched polymers in tire components are also included.
Claims22
A tire component comprising:
- a vulcanized product of a polymer selected from the group consisting of
- (a) a polymer including a backbone, at least two branch points, and at least two branches extending from each of the branch points, where the backbone is characterized by a length at least 2.5 times the entanglement molecular weight of the backbone, where the branches are each characterized by a length at least 1 times the entanglement length of the branches, where the backbone is characterized by a glass transition temperature of less than 0° C., and where the backbone and the branches are miscible with one another;
- and
- (b) a polymer including a backbone having opposed ends, at least one branch point located at one opposed end, at least two branches extending from the at least one branch point, and filler-interactive functional group at the other opposed end, where the backbone is characterized by a length at least 2.5 times the entanglement length of the backbone, where the branches are each characterized by a length at least 1 times the entanglement length of the branches, where the backbone is characterized by a glass transition temperature of less than 0° C., and where the backbone and the branches are miscible with one another.
1 more element
A method of preparing a polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing mono-living polymer characterized by a length that is at least 1 times the entanglement length of the mono-living polymer;
- (b) reacting the mono-living polymer with a branching agent, where the branching agent includes at least 3 reactive sites, and where the equivalents of reactive sites is in excess to the moles of mono-living polymer, thereby forming to form a branched terminating agent;
- (c) reacting the branched terminating agent with a di-living polymer, where the di-living polymer is characterized by a length that is at least 2.5 times the entanglement length of the di-living polymer.
A method of preparing a polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting monomer with an anionic polymerization initiator having a functional group, thereby forming a polymerization medium, and thereby synthesizing functionalized living polymer;
- (b) allowing the synthesis of the functionalized living polymer to proceed to an extent that the functionalized living polymer are characterized by a length that is at least 2.5 times the entanglement molecular weight of the functionalized living polymer;
- (c) after said step (b), adding additional monomer and a non-functional anionic polymerization initiator to the polymerization medium, thereby synthesizing unfunctionalized living polymer;
- (d) allowing the synthesis of the unfunctionalized living polymer to proceed to an extent that the unfunctionalized living polymer are characterized by a length that is at least 1 times the entanglement molecular weight of the unfunctionalized living polymer;
- (e) after said step (d), adding a coupling agent to the polymerization medium, where the coupling agent includes at least 3 reactive sites.
2 more elements
A method of preparing a polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of polymer molecules where the polymer molecules include branched molecules having at least one branch point, where at least 3 branches extend from the at least one branch point, and where the branches are characterized by a length that is at least 1 times the entanglement molecular weight of the branches;
- (b) adding a free-radical initiator to the polymerization medium.
A method of preparing a polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting monomer with an anionic polymerization initiator, thereby forming a polymerization medium, and thereby synthesizing a living polymer;
- (b) allowing the synthesis of the living polymer to proceed to an extent that the living polymer are characterized by a length that is at least 1 times the entanglement molecular weight of the living polymer;
- (c) adding a grafting agent, a chain transfer agent, and optionally additional monomer to the polymerization medium, where the ratio of grafting agent to anionic polymerization initiator is from about 0.1 to 1 to about 2 to 1, and the ratio of chain transfer to grafting agent is from about 0.25 to 1 to about 2 to 1.
A method of preparing a branched polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a catalyst system that is the combination or reaction product of (i) a lanthanide compound, (ii) an alkylating agent, (iii) a nickel-containing compound, and (iv) a source of halogen to form a high-cis polydiene;
- and:
- (b) coupling the high-cis polydiene with a free radical source.
A tire component comprising:
- a vulcanized product of a polymer composition including a branched polymer selected from the group consisting of
- (a) a polymer including a backbone, at least two branch points, and at least two branches extending from each of the branch points, where the backbone is characterized by a length at least 2.5 times the entanglement molecular weight of the backbone, where the branches are each characterized by a length at least 1 times the entanglement length of the branches, where the backbone is characterized by a glass transition temperature of less than 0° C., and where the backbone and the branches are miscible with one another;
- and
- (b) a polymer including a backbone having opposed ends, at least one branch point located at one opposed end, at least two branches extending from the at least one branch point, and filler-interactive functional group at the other opposed end, where the backbone is characterized by a length at least 2.5 times the entanglement length of the backbone, where the branches are each characterized by a length at least 1 times the entanglement length of the branches, where the backbone is characterized by a glass transition temperature of less than 0° C., and where the backbone and the branches are miscible with one another.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.