A bimetallic catalytic system consists of the metallic components of formulae RLi and Ca(AR′.sub.y).sub.2(L).sub.x in which: R represents a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.10 aliphatic radical, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6-C.sub.20 aromatic radical or a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.10 heteroaliphatic radical; A denotes N or C; y has the value 2 when A is N and the value 3 when A is C; each R′ represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.5-C.sub.10 aliphatic radical, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6-C.sub.20 aromatic radical, a substituted or unsubstituted silyl radical, a C.sub.1-C.sub.10 aliphatic radical substituted by at least one substituted or unsubstituted silyl radical, a C.sub.6-C.sub.20 aromatic radical substituted by at least one substituted or unsubstituted silyl radical; L represents a ligand; and x is a number ranging from 0 to 4.

A bimetallic catalytic system consists of the metallic components of formulae RLi and Ca(AR′.sub.y).sub.2(L).sub.x in which: R represents a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.10 aliphatic radical, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6-C.sub.20 aromatic radical or a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1-C.sub.10 heteroaliphatic radical; A denotes N or C; y has the value 2 when A is N and the value 3 when A is C; each R′ represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.5-C.sub.10 aliphatic radical, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6-C.sub.20 aromatic radical, a substituted or unsubstituted silyl radical, a C.sub.1-C.sub.10 aliphatic radical substituted by at least one substituted or unsubstituted silyl radical, a C.sub.6-C.sub.20 aromatic radical substituted by at least one substituted or unsubstituted silyl radical; L represents a ligand; and x is a number ranging from 0 to 4.

A method for method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of preparing an active polymerization mixture including a reactive polymer by polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst; introducing a heterocyclic nitrile compound with the reactive polymer to form a functionalized polymer within the polymerization mixture; introducing a quenching agent to the polymerization mixture including the functionalized polymer, where the ratio of water or protic hydrogen atoms in the quenching agent to the lanthanide atoms in the lanthanide-based catalyst is less than 1500 to 1.

A method for method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of preparing an active polymerization mixture including a reactive polymer by polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst; introducing a heterocyclic nitrile compound with the reactive polymer to form a functionalized polymer within the polymerization mixture; introducing a quenching agent to the polymerization mixture including the functionalized polymer, where the ratio of water or protic hydrogen atoms in the quenching agent to the lanthanide atoms in the lanthanide-based catalyst is less than 1500 to 1.

Disclosed herein are a process for preparing a modified high-cis polybutadiene polymer, a modified high-cis polybutadiene polymer, and tire components made using the modified high-cis polybutadiene polymer. The processes make use of a functionalizing compound of formula (I) to prepare the modified high-cis polybutadiene from a quantity of 1,3-butadiene monomer using a specified catalyst system.

The present invention relates to a modifier represented by Formula 1, a method for preparing the same, a modified conjugated diene-based polymer including a functional group derived from the modifier and having a high modification ratio, and a method for preparing the polymer.

It has been unexpectedly found that certain neodymium catalyst systems can be used to copolymerize isoprene and 1,3-butadiene to produce random isoprene-butadiene copolymer rubbers which are not tapered. These random isoprene-butadiene copolymer rubbers have properties which are beneficial for use in rubber formulations for manufacturing a wide variety of rubber products, such as tires, hoses, conveyor belts, power transmission belts, and shoe soles. These random isoprene-butadiene rubbers are synthesized by copolymerizing (a) isoprene monomer or a substituted isoprene monomer and (b) 1,3-butadiene monomer in the presence of a neodymium catalyst system, wherein the neodymium catalyst system is prepared by (1) reacting a neodymium carboxylate with an organoaluminum compound in the presence of a conjugated diolefin monomer to produce neodymium-aluminum catalyst component, and (2) subsequently reacting the neodymium-aluminum catalyst component with an alkyl aluminum chloride to produce the neodymium catalyst system.

The present invention relates to a catalyst composition including an oxonium ion-based catalyst and an additive, and a method for preparing a hydrocarbon resin using the same.

The present invention relates to a catalyst composition including an oxonium ion-based catalyst and an additive, and a method for preparing a hydrocarbon resin using the same.

The present invention relates to a catalyst composition including an oxonium ion-based catalyst and an aluminum-based cocatalyst, and a method for preparing an isobutene-based polymer using the same.