Hysteresis elastomeric compositions comprising polymers terminated with isocyanato alkoxysilanes

Abstract

A functionalized polymer terminated by using an isocyanato alkoxysilane terminating agent. A method of preparing a functionalized polymer comprising the step of contacting a living polymer with an isocyanato alkoxysilane terminating agent.

1 . A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising: 
 contacting an anionically-polymerized living polymer with an isocyanato alkoxysilane or isothiocyanato alkoxysilane.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is a prepared from at least one monomer comprising 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 1,3-pentadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, 1,3-hexadiene, myrcene, styrene, ∀-methyl styrene, p-methylstyrene, and vinylnaphthalene.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is a copolymer of styrene and 1,3-butadiene.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , vulcanizate of  claim 2 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is formed by using an initiator comprising at least one element from Group 1 or Group 2 of the Periodic Table.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is contacted with from about 0.3 to about 1 equivalent of terminating agent per equivalent of initiator.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , where the initiator includes a lithium-containing initiator.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is formed by using a lithium-containing initiator in the presence of a polar coordinator.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer includes from about 10 to about 50 percent mer units deriving from styrene, and where from about 8 to about 99 percent of the mer units deriving from 1,3-butadiene are in the 1,2-vinyl microstructure.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer includes from about 18 to about 40 percent mer units deriving from styrene, and where from about 10 to about 60 percent of the mer units deriving from 1,3-butadiene are in the 1,2-vinyl microstructure.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , where the remaining mer units deriving from 1,3-butadiene are in the 1,4-cis microstructure or the 1,4-trans microstructure at a relative ratio of about 3 cis-units to about 5 trans-units.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , where the isocyanato alkoxysilane compound or isothiocyanato alkoxysilane compound comprises gamma-isocyanatopropyl-triethoxysilane, gamma-isothiocyanatopropyl-triethoxysilane, gamma-isocyanatopropyl -trimethoxysilane, and gamma-isothiocyanatopropyl-trimethoxysilane.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , where the isocyanato alkoxysilane comprises gamma-isocyanatopropyl-trimethoxysilane.  
     
     
         13 . A functionalized polymer that is defined by the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where  is an anionically-polymerized polymer, A is oxygen or sulfur, R 1  is a divalent organic group, each R 2  and R3 is a monovalent organic group, and m is an integer from 0 to 2.  
     
     
         14 . The functionalized polymer of  claim 13 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is a copolymer of styrene and 1,3-butadiene.  
     
     
         15 . The functionalized polymer of  claim 13 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is contacted with from about 0.3 to about 1 equivalent of terminating agent per equivalent of initiator.  
     
     
         16 . The functionalized polymer of  claim 14 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer is formed by using a lithium-containing initiator in the presence of a polar coordinator.  
     
     
         17 . The functionalized polymer of  claim 16 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer includes from about 10 to about 50 percent mer units deriving from styrene, and where from about 8 to about 99 percent of the mer units deriving from 1,3-butadiene are in the 1,2-vinyl microstructure.  
     
     
         18 . The functionalized polymer of  claim 17 , where the anionically-polymerized polymer includes from about 18 to about 40 percent mer units deriving from styrene, and where from about 10 to about 60 percent of the mer units deriving from 1,3-butadiene are in the 1,2-vinyl microstructure.  
     
     
         19 . The functionalized polymer of  claim 18 , where the remaining mer units deriving from 1,3-butadiene are in the 1,4-cis microstructure or the 1,4-trans microstructure at a relative ratio of about 3 cis-units to about 5 trans-units.  
     
     
         20 . A vulcanizate prepared by employing the functionalized polymer of  claim 11 , and further comprising carbon black, silica, or a mixture thereof.