Disclosed herein are coupled polymer products comprising polymer with up to five polymer chains bonded to a functionalizing compound of either formula (II) or formula (III), wherein the polymer chains are comprised of conjugated diene-containing monomers optionally in combination with vinyl aromatic monomers and further include vinyl group-functionalized aminosilane compound of formula (I) bonded within the polymer chain. Also disclosed are processes for producing the coupled polymer products as well as a rubber composition containing the coupled polymer product and tire components comprising the rubber composition.

The present invention provides: a novel production technique that enables production of a polymer whose molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are controlled and production of a polymer having a complicated structure in a desirably controlled manner using commercially available materials without using a radical polymerization initiator or a special material for use in living radical polymerization and without the need for strict polymerization conditions; and a radical polymerization initiating group-containing compound for use in the technique. The present invention relates to: a method for producing a polymer, the method including a polymerization step of mixing and warming (1) a radically polymerizable monomer, (2) an organic compound wherein at least one group that functions as a group for initiating polymerization of the monomer and that has a structure represented by formula 1 or formula 2 (X in the formula represents Cl or Br) is introduced in a molecule of the organic compound, and (3) an iodine-containing compound, thereby initiating, from the group having the structure, radical polymerization accompanied by a termination reaction; and the organic compound of (2) for use in the method. ##STR00001##

Provided are: a novel polymerization technique by which a polymer having a controlled molecular weight or molecular weight distribution or a polymer having a desirably regulated, complicated structure can be obtained using commercially available general-purpose materials without using any radical polymerization initiator, or any special material for use in living radical polymerization and without requiring any strict polymerization conditions; a radical polymerization initiation group-containing compound for use in the technique; and a polymer obtained thereby. Specifically, provided are: a method for producing a polymer, the method including a polymerization step of mixing and warming (1) a radically polymerizable monomer, (2) an organic compound having at least one group introduced in a molecule thereof, the group functioning as a polymerization initiation group for the monomer and having a structure represented by formula 1, and (3) a chloride ion-containing and/or bromide ion-containing compound selected from among specific compounds, thereby initiating radical polymerization from the group having the structure, the radical polymerization accompanying a termination reaction; a radical polymerization initiation group-containing compound; and a polymer. ##STR00001##

In a conventional self-healing material, although the resin properties after self-healing are restored to the same level as the initial refractoriness and strength of the resin, no further extension of life can be expected. A resin cured product according to the present invention includes: a first vinyl monomer having an ester bond; a second vinyl monomer having a hydroxyl group; a transesterification reaction catalyst; and a boron compound.

Polymeric block copolymer dispersants made by controlled radical polymerization are disclosed that include polyacrylate solubilizing segments and styrene-maleic anhydride particulate anchoring segments. Desirably, a large percentage of the maleic anhydride units are reacted with an aminic reactant of 4 to 30 carbon atoms with 2 to 10 nitrogen atoms wherein at least one nitrogen is primary and the other is tertiary or three times bonded to carbon atoms.

A vinylamide block copolymer kinetic hydrate inhibitor and a preparation method thereof are disclosed. The vinylamide block copolymer kinetic hydrate inhibitor has a structural formula as shown in formula I. Through reverse atom transfer radical polymerization, under an anaerobic operating condition, with vinylcaprolactam and acrylamide as monomers, dimethylformamide as a solvent, azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator, and a transition metal complex composed of a catalyst anhydrous copper chloride and a ligand 2,2-bipyridine as a catalytic system, the method has achieved to catalyze a controllable free radical solution polymerization to obtain a poly(vinylcaprolactam-acrylamide) block copolymer kinetic hydrate inhibitor. The synthesized kinetic hydrate inhibitor has a controllable molecular weight, a narrow molecular weight distribution, and a controllable synthesis process, and exhibits an excellent inhibitory effect. ##STR00001##

A resin composition is provided which has high transparency, light guiding properties and luminescent properties and can guide light therethrough with little change in chromaticity. A shaped article such as an optical element including the resin composition is also provided. The resin composition includes an acrylic block copolymer (A) and a light diffusing agent (B), wherein the acrylic block copolymer (A) has at least one structure in which polymer blocks (a1) based on methacrylic acid ester units are bonded to both ends of a polymer block (a2) based on acrylic acid ester units, and has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 150,000 and a tensile elastic modulus of 1 to 1,500 MPa, the light diffusing agent (B) is rutile titanium oxide having an average particle size of 0.5 to 2.0 m, and the content of the light diffusing agent (B) is 0.5 to 10 ppm (on mass basis) based on the acrylic block copolymer (A).

The present invention relates to a method of producing a polymer including: polymerizing a compound represented by the following formula (3); or copolymerizing the compound represented by the following formula (3) with a compound (6) having a reactive carbon-carbon double bond and differing from the compound represented by the following formula (3), in a presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following formula (1) and compounds represented by the following formula (2).

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a modified conjugated diene-based polymer, and more particularly, provides a method for preparing a modified conjugated diene-based polymer including a step of polymerizing a conjugated diene-based monomer in the presence of an organometal compound in a hydrocarbon solvent to prepare an active polymer which is coupled with an organometal (S1); and a step of reacting or coupling the active polymer prepared in step (S1) with a modifier (S2), wherein step (S1) is continuously performed in two or more polymerization reactors, and a polymerization conversion ratio in a first reactor among the polymerization reactors is 50% or less.

An iodine compound represented by formula (3) and a polymerization inhibitor including the iodine compound, wherein R.sup.21 to R.sup.25 are as defined herein, X.sup.1 is an n1-valent group, and n1 is an integer of 1 to 10:

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