Abstract: A process for making polymers of conjugated dienes which contain hydroxyl groups in the diene blocks which comprises(a) making a precursor polymer by polymerizing at least one conjugated diene which leaves 1,2 disubstituted, 1,1 disubstituted, 1,1,2 trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted olefinic unsaturation in the polymer,(b) optionally partially hydrogenating said precursor polymer,(c) epoxidizing said precursor polymer such that epoxy groups form at said substituted sites and the amount of epoxy functionality in the polymer is from 0.1 to 5 Meq/g polymer, and(d) reacting the epoxidized polymer with an alcohol solution of hydrochloric acid.A diene polymer containing 0.1 to 10 Meq/g polymer of hydroxyl group and comprised of alcohol units of the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or alkyl radicals and X and X' are either --OH or --Cl and at least one of them is --OH.

Abstract: A process for making polymers of conjugated dienes which contain hydroxyl groups in the diene blocks which comprises(a) making a precursor polymer by polymerizing at least one conjugated diene which leaves 1,2 disubstituted, 1,1 disubstituted, 1,1,2 trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted olefinic unsaturation in the polymer,(b) optionally partially hydrogenating said precursor polymer,(c) epoxidizing said precursor polymer such that epoxy groups form at said substituted sites and the amount of epoxy functionality in the polymer is from 0.1 to 5 Meq/g polymer, and(d) reacting the epoxidized polymer with an alcohol solution of hydrochloric acid.A diene polymer containing 0.1 to 10 Meq/g polymer of hydroxyl group and comprised of alcohol units of the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or alkyl radicals and X and X' are either --OH or --Cl and at least one of them is --OH.

Abstract: A process for making polymers of conjugated dienes which contain hydroxyl groups in the diene blocks which comprises(a) making a precursor polymer by polymerizing at least one conjugated diene which leaves 1,2 disubstituted, 1,1 disubstituted, 1,1,2 trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted olefinic unsaturation in the polymer,(b) optionally partially hydrogenating said precursor polymer,(c) epoxidizing said precursor polymer such that epoxy groups form at said substituted sites and the amount of epoxy functionality in the polymer is from 0.1 to 5 Meq/g polymer, and(d) reacting the epoxidized polymer with an alcohol solution of hydrochloric acid.A diene polymer containing 0.1 to 10 Meq/g polymer of hydroxyl group and comprised of alcohol units of the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or alkyl radicals and X and X' are either --OH or --Cl and at least one of them is --OH.

Abstract: A process for making polymers of conjugated dienes which contain hydroxyl groups in the diene blocks which comprises(a) making a precursor polymer by polymerizing at least one conjugated diene which leaves 1,2 disubstituted, 1,1 disubstituted, 1,1,2 trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted olefinic unsaturation in the polymer,(b) optionally partially hydrogenating said precursor polymer,(c) epoxidizing said precursor polymer such that epoxy groups form at said substituted sites and the amount of epoxy functionality in the polymer is from 0.1 to 5 Meq/g polymer, and(d) reacting the epoxidized polymer with an alcohol solution of hydrochloric acid.A diene polymer containing 0.1 to 10 Meq/g polymer of hydroxyl group and comprised of alcohol units of the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or alkyl radicals and X and X' are either --OH or --Cl and at least one of them is --OH.

Abstract: This is a process for the hydrogenation of conjugated diolefin polymers which comprises polymerizing or copolymerizing at least one conjugated diolefin with an organo alkali metal polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer, terminating the polymerization by the addition of hydrogen and effecting selective hydrogenation of the unsaturated double bonds in the conjugated diolefin units of the terminated polymer by contacting the polymer with hydrogen in the presence of an organo alkali metal promoter and Tebbe's reagent.

Abstract: A process for making polymers of conjugated dienes which contain hydroxyl groups in the diene blocks which comprises(a) making a precursor polymer by polymerizing at least one conjugated diene which leaves 1,2 disubstituted, 1,1 disubstituted, 1,1,2 trisubstituted or tetrasubstituted olefinic unsaturation in the polymer,(b) optionally partially hydrogenating said precursor polymer,(c) epoxidizing said precursor polymer such that epoxy groups form at said substituted sites and the amount of epoxy functionality in the polymer is from 0.1 to 5 Meq/g polymer, and(d) reacting the epoxidized polymer with an alcohol solution of hydrochloric acid.A diene polymer containing 0.1 to 10 Meq/g polymer of hydroxyl group and comprised of alcohol units of the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or alkyl radicals and X and X' are either --OH or --Cl and at least one of them is --OH.

Abstract: A process is provided comprising the steps of contacting a Group VIII metal hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution with water and a trialkyl aluminum, separating the residue from the solution and recovering a polymer solution preferably comprising less than 5 ppm by weight, based on the solution, of the hydrogenation catalyst residue metal.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement upon a process for hydrogenating a diene polymer by contacting the polymer in the presence of hydrogen with a titanium hydrogenation catalyst. The improvement comprises preventing discoloration of the hydrogenated polymer by treating it with water, a peroxide or alcohol in the absence of oxygen and adding a non-phenolic antioxidant to the polymer.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement upon a process for hydrogenating a diene polymer by contacting the polymer in the presence of hydrogen with a titanium hydrogenation catalyst. The improvement comprises preventing discoloration of the hydrogenated polymer by treating it with water, a peroxide or alcohol in the absence of oxygen and adding a non-phenolic antioxidant to the polymer.

Abstract: This is a process for the hydrogenation of conjugated diolefin polymers which comprises polymerizing or copolymerizing at least one conjugated diolefin with an organo alkali metal polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer, terminating the polymerization by the addition of hydrogen and effecting selective hydrogenation of the unsaturated double bonds in the conjugated diolefin units of the terminated polymer by contacting the polymer with hydrogen in the presence of an organo alkali metal promoter and Tebbe's reagent.

Abstract: This is a process for the partial hydrogenation of conjugated diolefin polymers which comprises polymerizing at least one conjugated diolefin with an organo alkali metal polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer comprising (1) ethylenic unsaturation between backbone carbons wherein at least one of the doubly bound backbone carbons is substituted and (2) ethylenic unsaturation which is not between doubly bound backbone carbons wherein at least one is substituted, terminating the polymerization, and effecting selective hydrogenation of the ethylenic unsaturation in the conjugated diolefin units of the terminated polymer which is not between doubly bound backbone carbons wherein at least one is substituted, by contacting the polymer with hydrogen in the presence of no more than 0.02 mM of catalyst per gram of polymer of a bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement upon a process for hydrogenating a diene polymer by contacting the polymer in the presence of hydrogen with a titanium hydrogenation catalyst. The improvement comprises preventing discoloration of the hydrogenated polymer by treating it with water, a peroxide or alcohol in the absence of oxygen and adding a non-phenolic antioxidant to the polymer.

Abstract: A process is provided comprising the steps of contacting a Group VIII metal hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution with a chelating resin, the chelating resin comprising iminodiacetate ions, and recovering a polymer solution comprising less than 5 ppm by weight, based on the solution, of the hydrogenation catalyst residue metal. In a preferred embodiment, the chelating resin is contacted with the hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution by mixing particles of the chelating resin with the hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution under agitation, and the polymer solution containing less than 5 ppm of hydrogenation catalyst metals is recovered from the chelating resin and resulting precipitated hydrogenation catalyst residues by filtration.

Abstract: This is an improved process for the hydrogenation of conjugated diolefin polymers which comprises polymerizing or copolymerizing at least one conjugated diolefin with an organo alkali metal polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer, terminating the polymerization by the addition of hydrogen and effecting selective hydrogenation of the unsaturated double bonds in the conjugated diolefin units of the terminated polymer by contacting the polymer, in the absence of hydrocarbon lithium and alkoxy lithium compounds, with hydrogen in the presence of at least one bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium compound. The improvement is the use of an alkyl benzoate as a promoter in the hydrogenation step.

Abstract: This is an improvement upon a process which comprises anionically polymerizing monomers with an anionic polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer. The improvement comprises terminating the polymerization by the addition of a terminating agent selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons containing a C-H group where the carbon is connected directly to a triply-bound carbon, hydrocarbons containing a C-H group where the carbon is connected directly to two doubly-bound carbons and hydrocarbons containing a C-H group where the carbon is connected directly to at least 2 aromatic rings, whereing none of said hydrocarbons contain additional aliphatic unsaturation.

Abstract: This invention provides a catalyst and a process for the hydrogenation of conjugated diolefin polymers which first involves the polymerization or copolymerization of such monomers with an organo alkali metal polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer. The living polymer can be terminated by the addition of hydrogen. Finally, selective hydrogenation of the unsaturable double bonds in the conjugated diolefin units of the terminated polymer is carried out in the presence of an initiator and at least one rare earth compound of the formula*Cp.sub. MRwhere *Cp is pentamethylcyclopentadiene, M is a rare earth element and R is alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or hydrogen.

Abstract: A process for separating lithium from a conjugated diolefin polymer wherein a solution containing said conjugated diolefin polymer and a lithium compound is contacted with magnesium phosphate, magnesium phosphate dibasic, magnesium dihydrogen phosphate or a mixture thereof. Preferably, the magnesium phosphate compound is selected from the group consisting of mono- and dihydrogen phosphates. Most preferably, the magnesium phosphate is magnesium phosphate dibasic. The magnesium phosphate, magnesium phosphate dibasic, magnesium phosphate or mixture thereof may be used in combination with water and/or methanol with relatively good results. The lithium, which is a polymerization catalyst, can be removed immediately after the conjugated diolefin polymer is prepared by contacting the polymer solution with the magnesium phosphate compound.

Abstract: This is an improvement in a process for the hydrogenation of conjugated diolefin polymers which comprises polymerizing or copolymerizing at least one conjugated diolefin with an organo alkali metal polymerization initiator in a suitable solvent thereby creating a living polymer, terminating the polymerization by the addition of hydrogen, thereby generating an alkali metal hydride, and effecting selective hydrogenation of the unsaturated double bonds in the conjugated diolefin units of the terminated polymer by contacting the polymer, in the absence of hydrocarbon lithium and alkoxy lithium compounds, with hydrogen in the presence of at least one bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium compound. The improvement comprises treating the polymer, before hydrogenation, with a reagent to increase catalyst activity, the reagent being such that it will react with the alkali metal hydride present in the polymer.

Abstract: This is a process for the depolymerization of conjugated diene polymers which comprises contacting the polymers with hydrogen in the presence of at least one bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium compound.

Abstract: A process is provided comprising the steps of contacting a Group VIII metal hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution with from about 2 to about 50 parts by weight water based on 100 parts by weight of polymer solution, centrifuging the polymer from metal containing particles with a centrifugal force such that the centrifugal force times the time duration of centrifugation divided by the viscosity of the polymer solution equals or exceeds about 50 G-minutes/cp, and recovering a polymer solution comprising less than 10 ppm by weight, based on the polymer, of the Group VIII metal.