Abstract: A method for polymerizing conjugated diene monomer into polydienes, the method comprising: polymerizing conjugated diene monomer within a liquid-phase polymerization mixture that includes conjugated diene monomer, a lanthanide-based catalyst system, dicyclopentadiene or substituted dicyclopentadiene, and optionally organic solvent, with the proviso that the organic solvent, if present, is less than about 20% by weight based on the total weight of the polymerization mixture.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 6, 2009
Date of Patent:
April 24, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Steven Luo, Mark W. Smale, Kevin McCauley, Randhir Shetty
Abstract: A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising providing a reactive polymer, where the reactive polymer includes a carbon anion, an oxygen anion, a sulfur anion, or a nitrogen anion, reacting the reactive polymer with carbon disulfide to form a polymer including a dithio carboxyl group, and reacting the polymer including the dithio carboxyl group with a blocking agent.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 22, 2006
Date of Patent:
April 17, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Terrence E. Hogan, William L. Hergenrother
Abstract: Provided is a composition comprising at least one polymer having a degree of unsaturation of no more than about 50 mol %; a filler selected from the group consisting of carbon black, silica, and mixtures thereof; and a polymeric additive comprising a functional end group reactive with said filler, wherein said polymeric additive has a degree of unsaturation of no more than about 50 mol % and a number average molecular weight between about 1,000 and about 25,000. The composition may optionally contain one or more polymers having a degree of unsaturation of more than 50 mol %. The composition may be particularly useful as a component for a tire.
Abstract: An amine-containing alkoxysilyl-functionalized polymer, a method of preparing a reactive polymer functionalized with an alkoxysilane functionalizing agent and further reacted with an amino alcohol, the resulting polymer, and vulcanizates thereof.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 21, 2007
Date of Patent:
April 3, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Terrence E. Hogan, William L. Hergenrother, Maria Tallman
Abstract: A method for preparing a polymeric composition, the method comprising providing a polymer cement including a polymer and a solvent, introducing an acetal or ketal of an alditol with the polymer cement, and isolating at least a portion of the polymer and the acetal or ketal of an alditol from the solvent to provide a polymeric composition including the polymer and the acetal or ketal of an alditol.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 31, 2008
Date of Patent:
March 20, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Kevin McCauley, Terrence E. Hogan, Christopher G. Robertson, Amy M. Randall
Abstract: A modified asphalt binder composition prepared by combining asphalt binder, phosphorus pentasulfide, and less than 2.5 parts by weight unsaturated polymer, per 100 parts by weight asphalt binder, to thereby produce a modified asphalt binder composition characterized by an elongation recovery at 25° C., as determined according to AASHTO T301, of greater than 75%, where the phosphorus pentasulfide includes a blend of P4S10 and P4S9.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 14, 2010
Date of Patent:
February 28, 2012
Assignees:
Firestone Polymers, LLC, Heritage Research Group
Inventors:
William L. Hergenrother, Peter W. Boerner, Daniel F. Graves, Christine Rademacher, Timothy P. Reece, Herbert L. Wissel
Abstract: Branched polymers including multi-branched polymers, functionalized branched polymers, star-branched polymers, and dendigraft polymers. Methods for the synthesis of branched polymers and method for the use of branched polymers in tire components are also included.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 5, 2007
Date of Patent:
February 21, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Christopher G. Robertson, Sandra Warren, James Hall, Georg G. A. Böhm, Mark Arigo, Noriko Mori
Abstract: A method for reducing the cold flow of a polymeric composition of matter by introducing polymer with the combination or reaction product of (i) an acetal or ketal of an alditol and (ii) (a) a hydrocarbylated boric acid, (b) an organoaluminum compound, or (c) both a hydrocarbylated boric acid and an organoaluminum compound.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 5, 2009
Date of Patent:
January 31, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Kevin M. McCauley, Terrence E. Hogan, Zbyslaw R. Owczarczyk, Amy M. Randall
Abstract: A method for preparing multi-functional high-trans elastomeric polymers that have various applications such as in vulcanizable rubber compositions, moisture curable resin compositions, as well as other areas.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 1, 2006
Date of Patent:
January 24, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
James H. Pawlow, Takayuki Yako, Jason T. Poulton, Sandra Warren, Christopher Robertson
Abstract: A vulcanizable rubber composition is presented that comprises an elastomer; a reinforcing filler selected from silica, carbon black, and mixtures thereof, a cure agent; and an amino alkoxy-modified silsesquioxane (AMS) comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of an amino AMS, an amino/mercaptan co-AMS, an amino/blocked mercaptan co-AMS, mixtures thereof, and weak acid-neutralized solid and aqueous solutions thereof. Addition of such compounds to the rubber composition provides improved dynamic viscoelastic and mechanical properties of the vulcanized rubber compound and predict that tire components, especially tread stocks, will provide tires having improved snow traction, lower rolling resistance but equal wet traction, increased rebound, decreased hysteresis, and a general improvement in tire performance.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 31, 2008
Date of Patent:
January 17, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
William L. Hergenrother, Chenchy Jeffrey Lin
Abstract: A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of (i) polymerizing conjugated diene monomer by employing a lanthanide-based catalyst to form a reactive polymer, and (ii) reacting the reactive polymer with a protected oxime compound.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 13, 2007
Date of Patent:
January 3, 2012
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Steven Luo, Yuan-Yong Yan, Jason T. Poulton, Eiju Suzuki
Abstract: A process for forming a tire component, the process comprising the steps of introducing a vulcanizable polymer, a curative, a first carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is greater than 60 g/kg, and a second carbon black characterized by an iodine adsorption number, per ASTM D1510, that is less than 60 g/kg to form a vulcanizable composition, fabricating a tire component from the vulcanizable composition, and curing the tire component.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 29, 2008
Date of Patent:
December 6, 2011
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Terrence E. Hogan, Christopher G. Robertson, Alberto Scurati
Abstract: A method for forming a polymer including a sulfur-containing functional group, the method comprising introducing a sulfur-containing initiator defined by the formula with conjugated diene monomer and optionally copolymerizable monomer within a polymerization medium and allowing the sulfur-containing initiator to initiate the polymerization of the conjugated diene monomer and the optional copolymerizable monomer, where R1 is a monovalent organic group, R2 is a divalent organic group, R3 is a divalent organic group or a bond, and a is an integer from 1 to about 5.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 16, 2008
Date of Patent:
November 22, 2011
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Terrence E. Hogan, William L. Hergenrother
Abstract: A process for producing low molecular weight polymers, the process comprising partially hydrogenating an unsaturated polymer to form a partially hydrogenated polymer, and reacting the partially hydrogenated polymer with an acyclic alkene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 19, 2006
Date of Patent:
November 15, 2011
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
James Pawlow, James Hall, Jason Poulton
Abstract: A method for preparing a tire tread, the method comprising vulcanizing a vulcanizable composition comprising a rubber component including a functionalized polymer and a cure system, where the cure system includes sulfur and a disulfide compound represented by the formula I R1—S—S—R3—S—S—R2 where R3 represents a divalent organic group and R1 and R2 each independently include a monovalent organic group including a nitrogen atom.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 31, 2008
Date of Patent:
November 15, 2011
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
Amy Randall, Terrence E. Hogan, William L. Hergenrother
Abstract: A method for treating a hydrocarbon solvent, the method comprising continuously introducing a hydrocarbon solvent to a liquid medium containing hydrogen ions; allowing the hydrocarbon solvent to be in contact with the liquid medium for at least 1 minute; continuously removing hydrocarbon solvent from the liquid medium to provide a treated hydrocarbon solvent stream.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 28, 2007
Date of Patent:
November 8, 2011
Assignee:
Bridgestone Corporation
Inventors:
James H. Pawlow, William L. Hergenrother
Abstract: Provided is a method comprising reacting the anionic living end of a polymer that is end capped with a steric hindering compound with a carbonyl-containing compound to produce a polymer with a homolytically cleaveable group. An engineered plastic may then be produced by adding the polymer containing a homolytically cleavable group to a solvent comprising at least one vinyl monomer; (b) optionally adding at least one additional inert solvent; (c) optionally adding additives selected from the group consisting of extender oils, modifiers, and antioxidants; and (d) initiating polymerization of the at least one vinyl monomer by the use of an initiator and/or heat, wherein a free radical is produced from the polymer containing a homolytically cleavable group.
Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing functionalized cis-1,4-polydienes having a combination of a high cis-1,4-linkage content and a high functionality, the resulting polymers and the vulcanized products containing the polymers. The functionalized cis-1,4-polydienes of the present invention are produced by a method comprising the steps of: (1) preparing a reactive polymer by polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst in the presence of less than 20% by weight of organic solvent based on the total weight of monomer, organic solvent, and resulting polymer, where the lanthanide-based catalyst is the combination of or reaction product of (a) a lanthanide compound, (b) an aluminoxane, (c) an organoaluminum compound other than an aluminoxane, and (d) a halogen-containing compound; and (2) contacting the reactive polymer with a functionalizing agent.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 27, 2007
Date of Patent:
September 13, 2011
Inventors:
Steven Luo, Junko Kurazumi, Yoichi Ozawa, Timothy L. Tartamella, Mark Smale, Kevin McCauley
Abstract: Vulcanizable elastomeric compositions and vulcanizates are prepared by employing a titanium compound. The titanium compound is believed to enhance the reaction between a silica particle and a silica-reactive compound.
Abstract: A process for preparing a modified asphalt binder composition, the process comprising mixing asphalt, an unsaturated polymer, and an organothionating agent to form a modified asphalt composition.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 19, 2008
Date of Patent:
August 30, 2011
Assignees:
Firestone Polymers, LLC, Heritage Research Group
Inventors:
Christine Rademacher, Daniel Graves, Herb Wissel, Timothy Reece