The invention relates to a method of manufacturing conjugated diene-based polymers. The conjugated diene-based polymers are obtained by polymerizing conjugated diene monomers or conjugated diene monomers and vinyl aromatic monomers using an initiator, wherein the initiator is obtained by reacting a divinylarene-like compound represented by the formula (1) with an organic alkali metal; A and B are C.sub.nH.sub.2n+1 or an aromatic ring, n is 0~5, A and B can be the same or different, and Q is an aromatic ring; wherein the molar ratio of the divinylarene-like compound to the effective active organic alkali metal is 1.3-5.0. The present invention further relates to a rubber comprising the conjugated diene-based polymers, and a tire comprising the rubber.

##STR00001##

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing conjugated diene-based polymers. The conjugated diene-based polymers are obtained by polymerizing conjugated diene monomers or conjugated diene monomers and vinyl aromatic monomers using an initiator, wherein the initiator is obtained by reacting a divinylarene-like compound represented by the formula (1) with an organic alkali metal; A and B are C.sub.nH.sub.2n+1 or an aromatic ring, n is 0~5, A and B can be the same or different, and Q is an aromatic ring; wherein the molar ratio of the divinylarene-like compound to the effective active organic alkali metal is 1.3-5.0. The present invention further relates to a rubber comprising the conjugated diene-based polymers, and a tire comprising the rubber.

##STR00001##

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.

Polar modifier systems based on a blend of DTHFP, ETE, TMEDA, DMTHFMA and/or functionally similar compounds with BDMAEE and SMT are used to make block copolymers having high levels of pendant vinyl double bond repeat units, which is through highly selective 1,2-bond butadiene addition, low vinylcyclopentane formation, unimodal narrow molecular weight distribution, and a low level of randomized co-monomer repeat units. The block copolymers have very high levels of 1,2-vinyl content and high 3,4-vinyl bond addition of the conjugated diene monomer and low vinylcyclopentane content. The polar modifier systems provide a fast polymerization rate, with a unimodal narrow molecular weight distribution. The polar modifier systems allow operation at a higher temperature than in prior art systems, which reduces cooling requirements.

Polar modifier systems based on a blend of DTHFP, ETE, TMEDA, DMTHFMA and/or functionally similar compounds with BDMAEE and SMT are used to make block copolymers having high levels of pendant vinyl double bond repeat units, which is through highly selective 1,2-bond butadiene addition, low vinylcyclopentane formation, unimodal narrow molecular weight distribution, and a low level of randomized co-monomer repeat units. The block copolymers have very high levels of 1,2-vinyl content and high 3,4-vinyl bond addition of the conjugated diene monomer and low vinylcyclopentane content. The polar modifier systems provide a fast polymerization rate, with a unimodal narrow molecular weight distribution. The polar modifier systems allow operation at a higher temperature than in prior art systems, which reduces cooling requirements.

Disclosed are an anionic polymerization initiator, which is a reaction product of an organometallic compound and a compound including an alkyl chain having a tertiary amino functional group, and a method of preparing a conjugated diene-based copolymer using the same.

Disclosed are an anionic polymerization initiator, which is a reaction product of an organometallic compound and a compound including an alkyl chain having a tertiary amino functional group, and a method of preparing a conjugated diene-based copolymer using the same.

Disclosed are an anionic polymerization initiator, which is a reaction product of an organometallic compound and a compound including an alkyl chain having a tertiary amino functional group, and a method of preparing a conjugated diene-based copolymer using the same.

Disclosed are an anionic polymerization initiator, which is a reaction product of an organometallic compound and a compound including an alkyl chain having a tertiary amino functional group, and a method of preparing a conjugated diene-based copolymer using the same.

The present invention relates to compositions for elastomeric compounds for tyres, comprising modified diene polymers (A1) terminated with at least one tetrazole group (E) comprising at least one 2,5 disubstituted tetrazole which may be activated by heating, tyre components and tyres for vehicle wheels comprising them. Advantageously, the present modified diene polymers (A1) impart to the compounds lower hot hysteresis and reduced Payne effect and, consequently, lower rolling resistance and wear. Furthermore, the present polymers do not exhibit the processability problems shown by conventional functionalised diene polymers, with high affinity for white fillers.