Conjugated diene polymer and process for production thereof

1. A process for producing a conjugated diene polymer composition, which comprises of polymerizing a conjugated diene compound or a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of organoalkali metals and organoalkaline earth metals as an initiator and then reacting the active end of the resulting polymer with a low molecular compound represented by the following formula (1) or the following formula (2):

(wherein in the formula (1), R 1 represents an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 each represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group or a C 1-12 alkoxy group and g stands for an integer from 1 to 3, and

in the formula (2), R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, or an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of an aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and g have the same meanings as defined in the formula (1)).

2. A process for producing a conjugated diene polymer composition according to claim 1 , wherein a conjugated diene compound or a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound are polymerized in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of organoalkali metals and organoalkaline earth metals and then the active ends of the conjugated diene polymer is coupled by a polyfunctional modifier before or after reacting the active end of the resulting polymer with a low molecular compound represented by the formula (1) or formula (2).

3. A process for producing a conjugated diene polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the low molecular compound represented by the formula (2) is 3-(4-trialkylsilyl-1-piperazinyl)propylalkyldialkoxysilane, 3-(4-trialkylsilyl-1-piperazinyl)propyltrialkoxysilane, 3-(3-trialkylsilyl-1-imidazolidinyl)propylalkyldialkoxysilane, 3-(3-trialkylsilyl-1-imidazolidinyl)propyltrialkoxysilane, 3-(3-trialkylsilyl-1-hexahydropyrimidinyl)propylalkyldialkoxysilane or 3-(3-trialkylsilyl-1-hexahydropyrimidinyl)propyltrialkoxysilane.

4. A process for producing a conjugated diene polymer according to claim 2 , wherein the polyfunctional modifier is a glycidyl compound having, in the molecule thereof, an amino group.

5. A conjugated diene polymer represented by the following formula (3) or the following formula (4):

(wherein, D represents a conjugated diene polymer,

in the formula (3), R 1 represents an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 each represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group or a C 1-12 alkoxy group and n stands for an integer from 1 to 3, m and p each stands for an integer from 0 to 2, and n+m+p=3, and

in the formula (4), R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom or an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , n, m, p, and n+m+p have the same meanings as defined in the formula (3)).

6. A conjugated diene polymer represented by the following formula (5) or the following formula (6):

(wherein, D represents a conjugated diene polymer,

in the formula (5), R 1 represents an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the secondary amino group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, and n stands for an integer from 1 to 3, and m and p each stands for an integer from 0 to 2, and n+m+p=3, and

in the formula (6), R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom or an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the secondary amino group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , n, m, p and n+m+p have the same meanings as defined in the formula (5)).

7. A conjugated diene polymer composition comprising from 1 to 99 wt. % of the conjugated diene polymer represented by the formula (3) and from 1 to 99 wt. % of the conjugated diene polymer represented by the formula (5), or from 1 to 99 wt. % of the conjugated diene polymer represented by the formula (4) and from 1 to 99 wt. % of the conjugated diene polymer represented by the formula (6):

(wherein, D represents a conjugated diene polymer,

in the formula (3), R 1 represents an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 each represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group or a C 1-12 alkoxy group and n stands for an integer from 1 to 3, m and p each stands for an integer from 0 to 2, and n+m+p=3,

in the formula (4), R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom or an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , n, m, p, and n+m+p have the same meanings as defined in the formula (3),

in the formula (5), R 1 represents an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the secondary amino group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, and n stands for an integer from 1 to 3, and m and p each stands for an integer from 0 to 2, and n+m+p=3, and

in the formula (6), R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom or an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the secondary amino group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , n, m, p and n+m+p have the same meanings as defined in the formula (5)).

8. A conjugated diene polymer composition comprising from 5 to 90 wt. % of a conjugated diene polymer coupled with a polyfunctional modifier other than a low molecular compound represented by the formula (1) or the formula (2) and from 10 to 95 wt. % of a conjugated diene polymer(s) represented by the formula (3) and/or the formula (5) or a conjugated diene polymer(s) represented by the formula (4) and/or the formula (6) and having a Mooney viscosity of from 20 to 200:

(wherein in the formula (1), R 1 represents an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 each represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group or a C 1-12 alkoxy group and g stands for an integer from 1 to 3,

in the formula (2), R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, or an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of an aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and g have the same meanings as defined in the formula (1),

in the formula (3), D represents a conjugated diene polymer, R 1 represents an organic group containing an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 each represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group or a C 1-12 alkoxy group and n stands for an integer from 1 to 3, m and p each stands for an integer from 0 to 2, and n+m+p=3,

in the formula (4), D represents a conjugated diene polymer, R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom or an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the aminosilyl group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , n, m, p, and n+m+p have the same meanings as defined in the formula (3),

in the formula (5), D represents a conjugated diene polymer, R 1 represents an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the secondary amino group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, R 2 represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group or a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a C 1-20 alkyl group or aryl group, and n stands for an integer from 1 to 3, and m and p each stands for an integer from 0 to 2, and n+m+p=3, and

in the formula (6), D represents a conjugated diene polymer, R 8 and R 9 each represents a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group, a C 1-10 hydrocarbon group having no active hydrogen and substituted with an Si, O, N or S atom or an organic group having an N atom not adjacent to the N atom of the secondary amino group and having a molecular weight not greater than 1000, and R 3 , R 4 , n, m, p and n+m+p have the same meanings as defined in the formula (5)).

9. A conjugated diene polymer composition according to claim 8 , wherein the polyfunctional modifier is a glycidyl compound having, in the molecule thereof, an amino group.