A modified conjugated diene-based polymer and a rubber composition including the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a modified conjugated diene-based polymer includes a 1,2-vinyl bond content of 30.0 wt % or less with respect to a total weight of the modified conjugated diene-based polymer, wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature of −90° C. to −50° C., a mooney viscosity of 50 to 100 measured by ASTM D1646, polydispersity index (PDI) of 1.5 to 3.5, and a mooney relaxation ratio of 0.7 or less when measured at 110° C.

The present disclosure provides transition metal catalysts and the respective bridged phenolate ligands contained on the catalyst, as well as, catalyst systems and polymerization processes for producing polyolefins. The catalysts and the catalyst systems provide catalytic activity values of greater than 100 kg/mmol-hr, such as greater than 400 kg/mmol-hr or greater than 500 kg/mmol-hr.

The present disclosure provides transition metal catalysts and the respective bridged phenolate ligands contained on the catalyst, as well as, catalyst systems and polymerization processes for producing polyolefins. The catalysts and the catalyst systems provide catalytic activity values of greater than 100 kg/mmol-hr, such as greater than 400 kg/mmol-hr or greater than 500 kg/mmol-hr.

A flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene includes: (a) a reaction section 18 with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene; (b) a catalyst feed system 12, 14, 16 comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section; (c) an ethylene recycle column 22 coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream; (d) a catalyst removal section 20 coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system; and (e) a first product separation column 24 connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream. Optionally provided is a second product separation column 26.

A flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene includes: (a) a reaction section 18 with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene; (b) a catalyst feed system 12, 14, 16 comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section; (c) an ethylene recycle column 22 coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream; (d) a catalyst removal section 20 coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system; and (e) a first product separation column 24 connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream. Optionally provided is a second product separation column 26.

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.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a multimodal polyolefin polymer in a first polymerization reactor and a second polymerization reactor connected in series, wherein a first polyolefin polymer is prepared in the first polymerization reactor in suspension in the presence of hydrogen and a second polyolefin polymer is prepared in the second polymerization reactor in the presence of a lower concentration of hydrogen than in the first polymerization reactor, the process comprising: a) withdrawing a suspension of solid polyolefin particles in a suspension medium from the first polymerization reactor, wherein the suspension medium comprises hydrogen and a hydrocarbon mixture having an initial boiling point of at least 50 C. and a final boiling point of at most 120 C.; b) feeding the suspension to a flash drum having a pressure controlled by a vacuum pump, wherein the pressure of the flash drum is less than 0.1 MPa; c) vaporizing a part of the suspension medium in the flash drum to obtain a hydrogen-depleted suspension and d) withdrawing the hydrogen-depleted suspension from the flash drum and feeding it to the second polymerization reactor.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a multimodal polyolefin polymer in a first polymerization reactor and a second polymerization reactor connected in series, wherein a first polyolefin polymer is prepared in the first polymerization reactor in suspension in the presence of hydrogen and a second polyolefin polymer is prepared in the second polymerization reactor in the presence of a lower concentration of hydrogen than in the first polymerization reactor, the process comprising: a) withdrawing a suspension of solid polyolefin particles in a suspension medium from the first polymerization reactor, wherein the suspension medium comprises hydrogen and a hydrocarbon mixture having an initial boiling point of at least 50 C. and a final boiling point of at most 120 C.; b) feeding the suspension to a flash drum having a pressure controlled by a vacuum pump, wherein the pressure of the flash drum is less than 0.1 MPa; c) vaporizing a part of the suspension medium in the flash drum to obtain a hydrogen-depleted suspension and d) withdrawing the hydrogen-depleted suspension from the flash drum and feeding it to the second polymerization reactor.

An ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer having (a) a density of from about 0.910 g/cc to about 0.940 g/cc; (b) a weight average molecular weight of from about 150,000 g/mol to about 300,000 g/mol; and (c) a melt index at a load of 2.16 kg of from about 0.01 dg/10 min. to about 0.5 dg/min.; wherein a 1 mil blown film formed from the polymer composition is characterized by (i) a Dart Impact strength greater than about 175 g/mil; (ii) an Elmendorf machine direction tear strength greater than about 20 g/mil; and (iii) an Elmendorf transverse direction tear strength greater than about 475 g/mil.