The present invention provides a modifier, a modified and conjugated diene-based polymer which is modified using the same, and a rubber composition including the modified and conjugated diene-based polymer, and more particularly, a modifier which includes a compound represented by Formula 1 and is capable of improving the mixing properties between a conjugated diene-based polymer and a filler, a modified and conjugated diene-based polymer which is modified using the same, and a rubber composition including the modified and conjugated diene-based polymer.

Cyclic organosilicon compounds having a structure represented by the general formula ##STR00001##
and a method for using thereof as a component of catalysts for producing propylene polymer having a very high melt-flowability are disclosed. The cyclic organosilicon compounds are employed as external electron donors in Ziegler-Natta catalyst systems to dramatically improve the hydrogen response, and therefore the catalyst systems can be used to prepare polymer having high melt-flowability and high isotacticity at high yield.

The present disclosure provides polymerization processes to produce polymeric materials, such as olefin terpolymers, using transition metal catalysts having bridged phenolate ligands. The polymerization process includes contacting a transition metal complex with a mixture olefin monomers that contain ethylene, propylene, and a cyclic diene to produce an olefin polymer and recovering the olefin polymer. The mixture of olefin monomers can include specified weight ratios for the various olefin monomers. The transition metal complex includes a bridged phenolate ligand bonded to a metal atom via covalent bonds by two oxygens, a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 atom, and a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 or 16 atom. The transition metal complex provides relatively high endocyclic alkene/vinyl selectivity to minimize hyperbranching during the production of olefin polymeric materials, such as EPDM and other terpolymers that are free or substantially free of gels.

A block copolymer and a method for preparing the same are disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: (A) mixing a compound of formula (I), a catalyst of formula (II), and a first solvent to obtain a first mixture; (B) adding a first monomer into the first mixture for reaction to obtain a second mixture; and (C) adding a second monomer into the second mixture for reaction to obtain a third mixture; wherein the compound of formula (I) and the catalyst of formula (II) are as defined in the specification.

A process for producing a polyolefin comprising contacting one or more olefinic monomers in the presence of one or more catalysts, wherein one or more of the catalysts has the following structure: wherein M is a Group III or Lanthanide metal that is in a +3 formal oxidation state and wherein the contacting occurs in the absence of any activator is provided. ##STR00001##

A process for producing a polyolefin comprising contacting one or more olefinic monomers in the presence of one or more catalysts, wherein one or more of the catalysts has the following structure: wherein M is a Group III or Lanthanide metal that is in a +3 formal oxidation state and wherein the contacting occurs in the absence of any activator is provided. ##STR00001##

The present invention is a method for producing a conjugated diene random copolymer comprising polymerizing at least a conjugated diene monomer using a living radical polymerization method to produce a conjugated diene polymer that comprises a halogen atom at a terminal of a polymer chain, a living radical polymerization reaction being initiated using a copper salt, a multidentate ligand that comprises a nitrogen atom having an sp.sup.2 hybridized orbital as a coordinating atom, and an organic halide, to produce the conjugated diene polymer having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 1,000 to 1,000,000 and a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of less than 2.0. The present invention provides a method for efficiently and inexpensively producing a conjugated diene polymer that includes a halogen atom at the terminal of the polymer chain, and has the desired molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution.

The present invention is a method for producing a conjugated diene random copolymer comprising polymerizing at least a conjugated diene monomer using a living radical polymerization method to produce a conjugated diene polymer that comprises a halogen atom at a terminal of a polymer chain, a living radical polymerization reaction being initiated using a copper salt, a multidentate ligand that comprises a nitrogen atom having an sp.sup.2 hybridized orbital as a coordinating atom, and an organic halide, to produce the conjugated diene polymer having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 1,000 to 1,000,000 and a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of less than 2.0. The present invention provides a method for efficiently and inexpensively producing a conjugated diene polymer that includes a halogen atom at the terminal of the polymer chain, and has the desired molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution.

A modified conjugated diene-based polymer having high Mooney viscosity and good shape stability and exhibiting excellent processability and low heat build-up is obtained in as few steps as possible. The modified conjugated diene-based polymer is produced by a method of reacting a conjugated diene-based polymer having an active chain end, obtained by polymerizing a monomer containing a conjugated diene compound in the presence of an initiator that contains at least either of an alkali metal compound and an alkaline earth metal compound, with a compound [M] having at least two groups selected from the group consisting of a group C(R.sup.1)N-A.sup.1 and a group NC(R.sup.1)-A.sup.1, where R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbyl group and A.sup.1 is a monovalent group having an alkoxysilyl group.

The present invention relates to the formation of compound of the formula (I) by reacting 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone or a protected derivative thereof with the unsaturated alcohol of formula (IIIa) or (IIIb) in the presence of Gd(OTf).sub.3 or Tm(OTf).sub.3 or Al(OTf).sub.3 or Y(OTf).sub.3 or Fe(OTf).sub.2 or camphorsulfonic acid or BiCl.sub.3 as acidic catalyst.

##STR00001##