# US 7,612,144 B2 · Use of sulfur containing initiators for anionic polymerization of monomers

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,612,144 B2
- Document ID: US7612144B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/900,686
- Filed: 2007-09-13
- Published: 2008-01-03
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2002-10-30
- Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation
- Inventors: Terrence E. Hogan; William Hergenrother; Yuan-Yong Yan; David Lawson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612144B2

## CPC

- C08C 19/44: of polymers containing metal atoms exclusively at one or both ends of the skeleton
- B60C 1/0016: {Compositions of the tread}
- C07F 1/02: Lithium compounds
- C08F 4/48: selected from lithium, rubidium, caesium or francium {(C08F4/461 takes precedence)}
- C08F 36/04: conjugated
- C08K 3/013: Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
- Y02T 10/86: Optimisation of rolling resistance, e.g. weight reduction
- Y10S 152/905: Tread composition
- C08C: TREATMENT OR CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF RUBBERS
- B60C: VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
- C07F: ACYCLIC, CARBOCYCLIC OR HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS CONTAINING ELEMENTS OTHER THAN CARBON, HYDROGEN, HALOGEN, OXYGEN, NITROGEN, SULFUR, SELENIUM OR TELLURIUM (metal-containing porphyrins C07D487/22)
- C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

An initiator is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers, to provide a functional head group on the polymer. A polymer having a functional head group derived from a sulfur containing anionic initiator, and optionally as additional functional group resulting from the use of a functional terminating reagent, coupling agent or linking agent is also provided. A method is presented for anionically polymerizing monomers comprising the step of polymerizing the monomers with a sulfur containing anionic initiator to provide a functional head group on the polymer. An elastomeric compound, comprising a functional polymer and filler is also described. Also provided is a tire having decreased rolling resistance resulting from a tire component containing a vulcanizable elastomeric compound.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A functional polymer that is defined by the following formula:
where R is selected from C1 to C6 trialkyl-silyl groups, C1 to C20 alkyl groups, C4 to C20 cycloalkyl groups, C6 to C20 aryl groups, thienyl, furyl, and pyridyl groups; and R may optionally have attached thereto any of the following functional groups: C1 to C10 alkyl groups, C6 to C20 aryl groups, C2 to C10 alkenyl groups, C3 to C10 non-terminal alkynyl groups, ethers, tert-amines, oxazolines, thiazolines, phosphines, sulfides, silyls, and mixtures thereof; where R1 is selected from C2 to C8 alkylene groups, where X is NR, and where π is a polymer chain having a number average molecular weight of from about 0.5 to about 500 kg/mole.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The polymer of claim 1, where said polymer chain derives from the anionic polymerization of monomer including conjugated dienes and optionally vinyl aromatics.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The polymer of claim 1, where said polymer chain includes poly(styrene-co-butadiene).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The polymer of claim 1, where said polymer chain includes a terminal functional group that includes a trialkyltin group, a thiazoline group, a trialkoxysilane group, or a carboxamide group.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The polymer of claim 1, where said polymer chain includes a terminal group resulting from the termination of said polymer chain with a reagent selected from the group consisting of tin tetrachloride, tributyltin chloride, dibutyltin chloride, tetraethylorthosilicate, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The polymer of claim 1, where R includes a C6 to C20 aryl group having attached thereto a tert-amine group.

### Claim 7

A functional polymer that is defined by the following formula:
where R is selected from C1 to C6 trialkyl-silyl groups, C1 to C20 alkyl groups, C4 to C20 cycloalkyl groups, C6 to C20 aryl groups, thienyl, furyl, and pyridyl groups; and R may optionally have attached thereto any of the following functional groups: C1 to C10 alkyl groups, C6 to C20 aryl groups, C2 to C10 alkenyl groups, C3 to C10 non-terminal alkynyl groups, ethers, tert-amines, oxazolines, thiazolines, phosphines, sulfides, silyls, and mixtures thereof; where R1 is selected from C2 to C8 alkylene groups, where X is NR, and where π is a polymer chain, where the polymer chain includes polybutadiene, SBR, or a copolymer thereof.

### Claim 8

A functional polymer that is defined by the following formula:
where R is selected from C1 to C6 trialkyl-silyl groups, C1 to C20 alkyl groups, C4 to C20 cycloalkyl groups, C6 to C20 aryl groups, thienyl, furyl, and pyridyl groups; and R may optionally have attached thereto any of the following functional groups: C1 to C10 alkyl groups, C6 to C20 aryl groups, C2 to C10 alkenyl groups, C3 to C10 non-terminal alkynyl groups, ethers, tert-amines, oxazolines, thiazolines, phosphines, sulfides, silyls, and mixtures thereof; where R1 is selected from C2 to C8 alkylene groups, where X is NR, and where π is a polymer chain, where the polymer chain derives from the anionic polymerization of monomer including conjugated C4-C12 dienes, C4-C18 monovinyl aromatic monomers or C6-C20 trienes.