Cyclic conjugated diene polymer and method of producing same

A cyclic conjugated diene polymer comprising a main chain represented by the following formula (I):

• ##STR12## wherein A to E are monomer units constituting said main chain in which monomer units A to E are arranged in any order, and l to p are, respectively, weight percentages of monomer units A to E, based on the total weight of monomer units A to E;
• wherein:
• A is selected from the class consisting of cyclic conjugated diene monomer units each being independently represented by the following formula (III):
• ##STR13## wherein each R.sup.2 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl group, a C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group, a C.sub.5 -C.sub.20 aryl group, a C.sub.3 -C.sub.20 cycloalkyl group, a C.sub.4 -C.sub.20 cyclodienyl group or a 5 to 10-membered heterocyclic group having at least one nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur atom as a heteroatom,
• B is selected from the class consisting of chain conjugated diene monomer units,
• C is selected from the class consisting of vinyl aromatic monomer units,
• D is selected from the class consisting of polar monomer units, and
• E is selected from the class consisting of an ethylene monomer unit and .alpha.-olefin monomer units;
• and
• wherein:
• l to p satisfy the following requirements:
• l+m+n+o+p=100,
• 0. 5.ltoreq.l.ltoreq.100,
• 0.ltoreq.m<100,
• 0.ltoreq.n<100,
• 0.ltoreq.o<100,
• and
• 0.ltoreq.p<100,
• with the proviso that when l=100 and said A monomer units are comprised of cyclic conjugated diene monomer units which are the same, said cyclic conjugated diene polymer has a number average molecular weight of from 40,000 to 5,000,000, that when l=100 and said A monomer units are comprised of cyclic conjugated diene monomer units which are different, said cyclic conjugated diene polymer has a number average molecular weight of from 25,000 to 5,000,000, and that when 0.5.ltoreq.l<100, said cyclic conjugated diene polymer is a block copolymer which contains at least one polymer block consisting of at least two A monomer units, and has a number average molecular weight of from 500 to 5,000,000.