A method for producing a block copolymer composition including a diblock copolymer and a triblock copolymer each containing a polyolefin-based block and a polystyrene-based block is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method includes reacting an organic zinc compound with one or more kinds of olefin-based monomers in the presence of a transition metal catalyst to form an intermediate having an olefin-based polymer block, reacting the intermediate styrene-based monomer in the presence of an alkyllithium compound to form a product having a styrene-based polymer block, and reacting the product with water, oxygen, or an organic acid to form a block copolymer wherein the number of moles of the alkyllithium compound used to form the product is larger than the number of moles of the organic zinc compound used to form the intermediate.

Described herein are polymerization catalysts having a structure according to formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein

##STR00002##

is a diimine ligand, A.sup.− is a counter anion, and R.sup.2 is a fluorinated alkane, alkene or alkyne, a fluorinated aromatic, a fluorinated cycloalkane or cylcoalkene, a fluorinated heteroaromatic, or a fluorinated heterocyclic. Also described herein are polymers having a terminus having a structure according to Formula (3):

##STR00003##

wherein R.sup.2 is a fluorinated alkane, alkene or alkyne, a fluorinated aromatic, a fluorinated cycloalkane or cylcoalkene, a fluorinated heteroaromatic, or a fluorinated heterocyclic.

Described herein are polymerization catalysts having a structure according to formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein

##STR00002##

is a diimine ligand, A.sup.− is a counter anion, and R.sup.2 is a fluorinated alkane, alkene or alkyne, a fluorinated aromatic, a fluorinated cycloalkane or cylcoalkene, a fluorinated heteroaromatic, or a fluorinated heterocyclic. Also described herein are polymers having a terminus having a structure according to Formula (3):

##STR00003##

wherein R.sup.2 is a fluorinated alkane, alkene or alkyne, a fluorinated aromatic, a fluorinated cycloalkane or cylcoalkene, a fluorinated heteroaromatic, or a fluorinated heterocyclic.

The present disclosure provides base stocks and or diesel fuel, and processes for producing such base stocks and or diesel fuel by polymerizing alpha-olefins and internal olefins. The present disclosure further provides polyolefin products useful as base stocks and or diesel fuel. In at least one embodiment, a process includes: i) introducing, neat or in the presence of a solvent, a feed comprising a branched C.sub.5-C.sub.30 internal olefin, with a catalyst compound comprising a group 8, 9, 10, or 11 transition metal and at least one heteroatom and ii) obtaining a C.sub.6-C.sub.100 polyolefin product having one olefin, a methylene content of from about 1 wt % to about 98 wt %, and or a methyl content of from about 1 wt % to about 75 wt %. The feed may further include a linear C.sub.4-C.sub.30 internal olefin, a C.sub.2-C.sub.30 alpha-olefin, or a mixture thereof.

The present disclosure provides base stocks and or diesel fuel, and processes for producing such base stocks and or diesel fuel by polymerizing alpha-olefins and internal olefins. The present disclosure further provides polyolefin products useful as base stocks and or diesel fuel. In at least one embodiment, a process includes: i) introducing, neat or in the presence of a solvent, a feed comprising a branched C.sub.5-C.sub.30 internal olefin, with a catalyst compound comprising a group 8, 9, 10, or 11 transition metal and at least one heteroatom and ii) obtaining a C.sub.6-C.sub.100 polyolefin product having one olefin, a methylene content of from about 1 wt % to about 98 wt %, and or a methyl content of from about 1 wt % to about 75 wt %. The feed may further include a linear C.sub.4-C.sub.30 internal olefin, a C.sub.2-C.sub.30 alpha-olefin, or a mixture thereof.

Modified thermoplastic hydrocarbon thermoplastic resins are provided, as well as methods of their manufacture and uses thereof in rubber compositions. The modified thermoplastic resins are modified by decreasing the relative quantity of the dimer, trimer, tetramer, and pentamer oligomers as compared to the corresponding unmodified thermoplastic resin polymers, resulting in a product that exhibits a greater shift in the glass transition temperature of the elastomer(s) used in tire formulations. This translates to better viscoelastic predictors of tire tread performance, such as wet grip and rolling resistance. The modified thermoplastic resins impart remarkable properties on various rubber compositions, such as tires, belts, hoses, brakes, and the like. Automobile tires incorporating the modified thermoplastic resins are shown to possess excellent results in balancing the properties of rolling resistance, tire wear, snow performance, and wet braking performance.

Modified thermoplastic hydrocarbon thermoplastic resins are provided, as well as methods of their manufacture and uses thereof in rubber compositions. The modified thermoplastic resins are modified by decreasing the relative quantity of the dimer, trimer, tetramer, and pentamer oligomers as compared to the corresponding unmodified thermoplastic resin polymers, resulting in a product that exhibits a greater shift in the glass transition temperature of the elastomer(s) used in tire formulations. This translates to better viscoelastic predictors of tire tread performance, such as wet grip and rolling resistance. The modified thermoplastic resins impart remarkable properties on various rubber compositions, such as tires, belts, hoses, brakes, and the like. Automobile tires incorporating the modified thermoplastic resins are shown to possess excellent results in balancing the properties of rolling resistance, tire wear, snow performance, and wet braking performance.

A block copolymer composition is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the block copolymer composition includes a diblock copolymer and a triblock copolymer each including a polyolefin-based block and a polystyrene-based block. The diblock copolymer is present at less than or equal to 19% , based on total weight of the block copolymer composition, the polyolefin-based block includes a repeating unit represented by Formula 1, and the polystyrene-based block includes one or more of Formulas 2 and 3: ##STR00001## wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen, C3 to C20 alkyl, or C3 to C20 alkyl substituted with silyl, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are each independently C6 to C20 aryl, or C6 to C20 aryl substituted with halogen, C1 to C12 alkyl, or C3 to C12 cycloalkyl, n is an integer from 1 to 10,000, and l and m are each independently an integer from 10 to 1,000.

A block copolymer composition is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the block copolymer composition includes a diblock copolymer and a triblock copolymer each including a polyolefin-based block and a polystyrene-based block. The diblock copolymer is present at less than or equal to 19% , based on total weight of the block copolymer composition, the polyolefin-based block includes a repeating unit represented by Formula 1, and the polystyrene-based block includes one or more of Formulas 2 and 3: ##STR00001## wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen, C3 to C20 alkyl, or C3 to C20 alkyl substituted with silyl, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are each independently C6 to C20 aryl, or C6 to C20 aryl substituted with halogen, C1 to C12 alkyl, or C3 to C12 cycloalkyl, n is an integer from 1 to 10,000, and l and m are each independently an integer from 10 to 1,000.

The present disclosure provides borate or aluminate activators comprising cations having linear alkyl groups, catalyst systems comprising, and methods for polymerizing olefins using such activators. Specifically, the present disclosure provides activator compounds represented by Formula: [R.sup.1R.sup.2R.sup.3EH].sub.d.sup.+[M.sup.k+Q.sub.n].sup.d−, wherein: E is nitrogen or phosphorous; d is 1, 2 or 3; k is 1, 2, or 3; n is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6; n−k=d; R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.20 linear alkyl group; each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a C.sub.1-C.sub.40 linear alkyl group, a meta- and/or para-substituted phenyl group, an alkoxy group, a silyl group, a halogen, or a halogen containing group, wherein R.sup.1+R.sup.2+R.sup.3≥15 carbon atoms; M is an element selected from group 13, typically B or Al; and each Q is independently a hydride, bridged or unbridged dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, or halosubstituted-hydrocarbyl radical, provided that when Q is a fluorophenyl group, then R.sup.2 is not a C.sub.1-C.sub.40 linear alkyl group.