Preparation of functional polymers

A process for preparing a cured polymer which comprises the steps of:

• a. copolymerizing at least one conjugated diene, or at least one conjugated diene with at least one monovinyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon, with a minor effective amount for a lithium salt of a monohydroxyalkyl-substituted conjugated alkadiene as comonomer, under solution polymerization conditions of temperature and pressure and employing an effective amount of a lithium-based initiator, thereby preparing a copolymer, wherein said lithium salt of a monohydroxyalkyl-substituted conjugated alkadiene represents the reaction product of a monohydroxyalkyl-substituted conjugated alkadiene with lithium or with a hydrocarbyllithium compound, and wherein said monohydroxyalkyl-substituted conjugated alkadiene is represented by the formula ##STR4## wherein Q is R or a monohydroxyalkyl group represented by ##STR5## wherein each R is hydrogen or is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or combination radical;
• each R' is hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl;
• n is an integer of 1 to 3;
• such that said monohydroxyalkyl-substituted conjugated alkadiene contains 1 hydroxyalkyl group per molecule;
• b. treating said copolymer from said step (a) with an effective amount of an alkylene oxide;
• and
• c. curing the alkylene oxide-treated copolymer with a polyisocyanate curing system.