US 5,149,895 A · Vulcanizable liquid compositions

Abstract

There is disclosed a linear block copolymer comprising at least one triblock I-B-I, wherein I is a block of at least one polymerized conjugated diene of at least five (5) carbon atoms, such as isoprene, and B is a block of a polymer of at least one conjugated diene, different from that used to polymerize the block I, of at least four (4) carbon atoms, such as 1,3-butadiene. The B block is selectively hydrogenated, while each of the I blocks is unhydrogenated and therefore retains a sufficient amount of its original unsaturation to vulcanize the copolymer. There is also disclosed an alternative linear block copolymer containing at least one triblock of the first polymer block made from a minor proportion of at least one aryl-substituted olefin, such as styrene, and a major proportion of at least one conjugated diene used to polymerize the block I, the second middle polymer block of at least one diene used to polymerize the block B, and the third polymer block which is the same as the first polymer block. In this alternative copolymer, the middle block is also selectively hydrogenated, thereby leaving the terminal polymer blocks with a sufficient amount of their original unsaturation to vulcanize the copolymer. The polymers can be crosslinked or functionalized through the terminal blocks containing the vinyl unsaturation. There are also disclosed random linear and star-branched block and random copolymers made from the same monomers at the linear block copolymers. Also disclosed are methods of producing the polymers and selectively hydrogenating the aforementioned polymerized dienes.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A liquid block copolymer comprising at least three alternating blocks

(I).sub.x -(B).sub.y -(I).sub.x
wherein:
I is a block of at least one polymerized conjugated diene having at least five (5) carbon atoms and the following formula ##STR13## wherein R.sup.1 -R.sup.6 are each hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, provided that at least one of R.sup.1 -R.sup.6 is a hydrocarbyl group and provided that the structure of the residual double bond in the polymerized block I has the following formula ##STR14## wherein R.sup.I, R.sup.II, R.sup.III and R.sup.IV are each hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, provided that either both R.sup.I and R.sup.II are hydrocarbyl groups or both R.sup.III and R.sup.IV are hydrocarbyl groups;
B is a block of a polymer of at least one conjugated diene, different from that used to polymerize the block I, having at least four (4) carbon atoms and the following formula ##STR15## wherein R.sup.7 -R.sup.12 are each hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, provided that the structure of the residual double bond in the polymerized block B has the following formula ##STR16## wherein R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c and R.sup.d are each hydrogen (H) or a hydrocarbyl group, provided that one of R.sup.a or R.sup.b is hydrogen, one of R.sup.c or R.sup.d is hydrogen, and at least one of R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c or R.sup.d is a hydrocarbyl group;
x is at least 1, and y is at least 25;
said polymerized block B containing at least about 25 wt. % of 1,2-units if it is a polymer of predominantly 1,3-butadiene;
said copolymer being selectively hydrogenated so that each of the blocks B is substantially completely hydrogenated and thereby contains substantially none of the original unsaturation, while each of the blocks I retains a sufficient amount of its original unsaturation to vulcanize said copolymer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vulcanizable liquid compositions

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Vulcanizable liquid compositions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26