Systems and methods for extracting useful by-products and natural rubber from non-Hevea rubber bearing plants are disclosed.

Systems and methods for extracting useful by-products and natural rubber from non-Hevea rubber bearing plants are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a solidification process of the natural rubber latex by means of polyquaternary polymers. The process of the present invention has the advantage to not require the addition of acids and/or salts, with an evident saving in terms of cost for the reagents. Furthermore, in such a way neither the neutralization step of the rubber nor the treatment of the processing water before their disposal are required. The process of the present invention is suitable both for the continuous and batchwise embodiment, with evident advantages as far as its industrial application is concerned.

Systems and methods for extracting useful by-products and natural rubber from non-Hevea rubber bearing plants are disclosed.

Systems and methods for extracting useful by-products and natural rubber from non-Hevea rubber bearing plants are disclosed.

High Mooney viscosity elastomers having low volatiles content, and processes for producing such elastomers, are provided herein. In particular aspects, the elastomers are metallocene-catalyzed elastomers, such as mEPDM elastomers. Processes for producing such elastomers include devolatilization of an elastomer stream comprising such elastomers, using a kneader. The kneader is counterintuitively operated such that the internal agitating paddles rotate at relatively low speeds. It is believed these low speeds help maintain the elastomer stream as a toffee-like composition, preventing the elastomer stream within the kneader from becoming a crumbly composition, which is difficult to devolatilize.

Provided is a method capable of efficiently producing a modified diene-based rubber, and a rubber composition and a tire with excellent low hysteresis loss property, durability, etc. The method for producing a modified diene-based rubber of this disclosure comprises: performing modification by adding a modifier into a solution of a diene-based rubber as raw material obtained by dissolving a diene-based rubber as raw material in a solvent, and removing the solvent and reacting the modifier with the diene-based rubber as raw material while exerting a mechanical shear force, to thereby generate a modified diene-based rubber. The rubber composition of this disclosure uses a modified diene-based rubber produced with the method for producing a modified diene-based rubber of this disclosure. The tire of this disclosure uses the rubber composition of this disclosure.

A method for producing a modified polymer or a hydrogenated product thereof, includes polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization solvent which includes a hydrocarbon-based solvent, using a polymerization initiator to obtain a reaction solution. A functional group is introduced into the modified polymer or the hydrogenated product thereof, using a compound having the functional group protected with a silyl group. The reaction solution is separated into a solvent fraction including the hydrocarbon-based solvent, and a solid fraction including the modified polymer or the hydrogenated product thereof. The solvent fraction separated from the reaction solution is distilled to obtain a low-boiling fraction including the hydrocarbon-based solvent and a silanol compound. At least part of the silanol compound is removed from the low-boiling fraction by liquid-liquid extraction. At least part of a raffinate of the low-boiling fraction is recycled as a polymerization solvent.

A method for producing a modified polymer or a hydrogenated product thereof, includes polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization solvent which includes a hydrocarbon-based solvent, using a polymerization initiator to obtain a reaction solution. A functional group is introduced into the modified polymer or the hydrogenated product thereof, using a compound having the functional group protected with a silyl group. The reaction solution is separated into a solvent fraction including the hydrocarbon-based solvent, and a solid fraction including the modified polymer or the hydrogenated product thereof. The solvent fraction separated from the reaction solution is distilled to obtain a low-boiling fraction including the hydrocarbon-based solvent and a silanol compound. At least part of the silanol compound is removed from the low-boiling fraction by liquid-liquid extraction. At least part of a raffinate of the low-boiling fraction is recycled as a polymerization solvent.

Provided is a method for producing purified chloroprene-based-polymer latex which enables efficiently removing a residual volatile organic substance from chloroprene-based-polymer latex while suppressing foaming and the deposition of aggregates. The method for producing purified chloroprene-based-polymer latex of the present invention has at least the following steps (I) to (III): Step (I): a step of introducing chloroprene-based-polymer latex into a container beforehand, Step (II): a step of removing a residual volatile organic substance in the chloroprene-based-polymer latex which satisfies specific requirements (1) to (4), and Step (III): a step of collecting the latex from the container after performing the step (II) at least once, to thereby obtain purified chloroprene-based-polymer latex.