Abstract: A method for extracting and separating extractive components from fluids is provided. A first fluid and an extraction fluid are added to a vessel, thereby creating a two-phase two-layer system, wherein the first fluid and the extraction fluid are discrete and the two-phase system has a first fluid/extraction fluid interface. The two-phase system is then agitated, wherein the first fluid phase and the extraction fluid phase remain as substantially discrete layers. A means for communication between the first fluid and the extraction fluid is provided. The communication of the phases results in the extractive components being extracted from the first fluid into the extraction fluid. Agitation is stopped and the first fluid is recovered having reduced extractive components.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for making functionalized polymers comprising the steps of (a) initiating polymerization of an unsaturated monomer with a lithium initiator having the structure R1R2R3Si—O—A—Li wherein A is a branched or straight chain bridging group having at least two carbon atoms, R1,R2, and R3 are alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, or alkaryl groups having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, thus producing a functionalized polymer which has a protecting silyl group at one end thereof; and (b) contacting the protected polymer with from 0.5 to 1.1 moles of aqueous fluoroboric acid per mole of polymer at 0 to 50° C. for 1 to 10 minutes, and (c) contacting the resulting solution with water, and (d) recovering a linear or branched deprotected polymer having one or more terminal functional groups.

Abstract: This invention is a process for making a difunctional lithium initiator which comprises reacting a secondary or tertiary lithium alkyl with a diisopropenylbenzene compound in the presence of diethyl ether at a temperature of 25 to 50° C. wherein the molar ratio of the diethyl ether to the lithium alkyl is from above 0.1:1 to 2:1 and the diisopropenylbenzene compound and the diethyl ether are first mixed together and then added to the lithium alkyl. The molar ratio of the diisopropenylbenzene compound to the lithium alkyl should be as close to 0.5:1 as possible. An excess of lithium alkyl may be used if a product containing both diinitiator and monoinitiator is preferred. It is preferred that the molar ratio of diethyl ether to lithium alkyl be as close to 1:1 as possible.

Abstract: This invention is a method for producing butadiene-isoprene block copolymers with a specified amount of residual unsaturation in the polyisoprene blocks utilizing a hydrogenation catalyst wherein the hydrogenation residence time is minimized.

Abstract: The preparation of di- or polyfunctional polymers by anionic polymerization using functionalized initiators having the structure R.sup.1 R.sup.2 R.sup.3 Si--A--B, wherein each R is methyl and A is a hydrocarbon bridging group containing from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, and B is an alkali metal, is improved when polymerization occurs in the presence of a polymerization termination inhibitor which is a metal alkyl which has been added at a concentration to afford a molar ratio of the termination inhibitor to living polymer chain ends of about 0.1:1 to about 10:1.

Abstract: A method for extracting and separating extractive components from fluids is provided. A first fluid and an extraction fluid are added to a vessel, thereby creating a two-phase two-layer system, wherein the first fluid and the extraction fluid are discrete and the two-phase system has a first fluid/extraction fluid interface. The two-phase system is then agitated, wherein the first fluid phase and the extraction fluid phase remain as substantially discrete layers. A means for communication between the first fluid and the extraction fluid is provided. The communication of the phases results in the extractive components being extracted from the first fluid into the extraction fluid. Agitation is stopped and the first fluid is recovered having reduced extractive components.

Abstract: In a process for producing hydrogenated block copolymers of conjugated dienes and/or vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons which comprises anionically polymerizing the monomers in an inert hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of an alkali metal initiator whereby a polymer cement is produced, contacting the cement with hydrogen under hydrogenation conditions in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, and then removing the hydrogenation catalyst residue by washing the polymer cement with water or an aqueous acid, the improvement which comprises reducing the viscosity of the polymer cement by polymerizing the block copolymer under conditions such that the vinyl content of the polymer produced in the polymerization step is in the range from 45 to 80 percent by weight.