A novel family of cycloalkanes compounds having one or more allylidene functionalities which can be used to create cross-linked thermosets and thermoplastics having thermal stability. An example heptacyclo [6.6.0.0.sup.2,6.0.sup.3,13.0.sup.4,11.0.sup.5,9.0.sup.10,14] tetradecane (HCTD) complex with terminal allylidene groups at the 7- and 12-positions (HCTD-7,12-diallylidene) was generated from norbornadiene via an efficient six-step synthesis. Thermal polymerization at temperatures ranging from 160 to 240? C. yielded a robust cross-linked material with thermal stability up to 485? C. in air, a glass transition temperature of 377? C., and a char yield (600? C.) of 56% in air. Applications include heat resistant composites utilized in the aerospace, electronic, automotive and textile industries.

A novel family of cycloalkanes compounds having one or more allylidene functionalities which can be used to create cross-linked thermosets and thermoplastics having thermal stability. An example heptacyclo [6.6.0.0.sup.2,6.0.sup.3,13.0.sup.4,11.0.sup.5,9.0.sup.10,14] tetradecane (HCTD) complex with terminal allylidene groups at the 7- and 12-positions (HCTD-7,12-diallylidene) was generated from norbornadiene via an efficient six-step synthesis. Thermal polymerization at temperatures ranging from 160 to 240? C. yielded a robust cross-linked material with thermal stability up to 485? C. in air, a glass transition temperature of 377? C., and a char yield (600? C.) of 56% in air. Applications include heat resistant composites utilized in the aerospace, electronic, automotive and textile industries.

A water-soluble and/or water-swellable hybrid polymer comprising: (i) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% water-soluble and/or water-swellable polysaccharide polymer selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, chitosan, alginate and combinations thereof; (ii) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% synthetic polymer comprising up to 100 mol-% repeating units according to Formula (1a):

##STR00001##

wherein components (i) and (ii) are polymerized by radical precipitation polymerization in a polar solvent.

A water-soluble and/or water-swellable hybrid polymer comprising: (i) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% water-soluble and/or water-swellable polysaccharide polymer selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, chitosan, alginate and combinations thereof; (ii) from 5 wt.-% to 95 wt.-% synthetic polymer comprising up to 100 mol-% repeating units according to Formula (1a):

##STR00001##

wherein components (i) and (ii) are polymerized by radical precipitation polymerization in a polar solvent.

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; nk=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.315 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.

The present disclosure provides borate activators comprising cations having linear alkyl groups, catalyst systems comprising, and processes for polymerizing olefins using such activators. Specifically, the present disclosure provides polymerization activator compounds which may be prepared in, and which are soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbon and alicyclic hydrocarbon solvents.

The present disclosure provides borate or aluminate activators comprising cations having branched 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; nk=d; each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is independently C.sub.1-C.sub.40 branched or linear alkyl or C.sub.5-C.sub.50-aryl, wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is independently unsubstituted or substituted with at least one of halide, C.sub.5-C.sub.50 aryl, C.sub.6-C.sub.35 arylalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.35 alkylaryl and, in the case of the C.sub.5-C.sub.50-aryl, C.sub.1-C.sub.50 alkyl; wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 together comprise 15 or more carbon atoms; M is an element selected from group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements; 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 at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is a branched alkyl.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a polymer using a compound comprising at least 2 unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds, wherein the process comprises a polymerisation section and a purification section, wherein the product from the polymerisation section is subjected in the purification section to a sequence of purification steps comprising: removal of the vapour phase from the product from the polymerisation section by means of flash separation to obtain a first vapour phase and a polymerisation product; subjecting the first vapour phase to a compression and condensation treatment to obtain a second vapour phase and a condensed monomer phase; wherein the purification steps are conducted in this order. Such process allows for the optimal utilisation of raw materials in the polymerisation process.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a polymer composition comprising the steps of: (A) polymerising, in a first polymerisation reactor in a first solvent,a first olefin monomer having two or more carbon atoms, in the presence of a first polymerisation catalyst for producing a first solution comprising a first polymer of the first olefin monomer and the first solvent; (B) withdrawing a first stream of the first solution from the first polymerisation reactor; (C) passing the first stream of the first solution into a first separator wherein a first liquid phase comprising the polymer and a first vapour phase coexist; (D) withdrawing a first vapour stream and a first concentrated solution stream comprising the polymer from the first separator; (E) passing at least a part of the first vapour stream to a first fractionator; (F) withdrawing a first overhead stream and a first bottom stream from the first fractionator; (G) recovering at least a part of the first overhead stream as a first recycle stream and passing it to the first polymerisation reactor; (H) passing the first concentrated solution stream from the first separator (4) to a second separator (8) wherein a second liquid phase comprising the polymer and a second vapour phase coexist; (I) withdrawing a second vapour stream and a second concentrated solution stream comprising the polymer from the second separator; (J) passing at least a part of the second pour stream to a second fractionator; (K) withdrawing a second overhead stream and a second bottom stream from the second fractionator; (L) recovering at least a part of the second overhead stream as a second recycle stream and passing it to the first polymerisation reactor; (M) passing the second concentrated solution stream from the second separator to a third separator wherein a third liquid phase comprising the polymer and a third vapour phase coexist; characterised in that the mass flow rate of the first recycle stream is at least 80% of the mass flow rate of the first vapour stream and the mass flow rate of the second recycle stream is at least 70% of the mass flow rate of the second vapour stream.

This disclosure is to provide a method for preparing a terminal-modified conjugated diene polymer which achieves an extremely high compounding amount of cis-1,4 without complicated preparing conditions, a terminal-modified conjugated diene polymer obtained via the method, a rubber composition containing the terminal-modified conjugated diene polymer, and a tire using the rubber composition. This disclosure is A method for preparing a terminal-modified conjugated diene polymer comprising: polymerizing a conjugated diene compound by using a polymerization catalyst composition and modifying a polymer obtained via the polymerization by using a modifier, wherein the polymerization catalyst composition contains a rare earth element compound, and a coordination compound having a cyclopentadiene skeleton selected from substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienes, substituted or unsubstituted indenes, and substituted or unsubstituted fluorenes, and wherein the polymerization and modification is performed in a one-pot way.