Production of metathesis products by amorphous polymer segment interchange

1. A process for preparing a cross-metathesized product mixture comprising contacting a metathesis catalyst under metathesis conditions with a composition comprising two or more chemically distinguishable ethylenically unsaturated polymers, at least one of said ethylenically unsaturated polymers (first polymer) comprising internal unsaturation and having a molecular weight greater than 1,000, and having from 0.001 to 50 mole percent unsaturation and at least one other of said ethylenically unsaturated polymers (second polymer) being an amorphous polymer having a molecular weight greater than 1,000 and having an expected Tg less than 0° C. and having from 0.001 to 5 mole percent internal unsaturation, to thereby form the cross-metathesized reaction product.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first unsaturated polymer reagent comprises from 10 to 50 mole percent ethylenic unsaturation.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the ethylenic carbon content of the first unsaturated polymer reagent is less than or equal to 40 weight percent.

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first unsaturated polymer is a diene homopolymer or a copolymer of one or more olefins with a diene, or a partially hydrogenated derivative thereof.

5. A process according claim 1 wherein the second unsaturated polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C 3-20 α-olefins, and a diene or alkyne, or partially hydrogenated derivatives thereof.

6. A process according to claim 4 wherein the second unsaturated polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C 3-20 α-olefins, and a diene or alkyne, or a partially hydrogenated derivative thereof.

7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the first unsaturated polymer is polybutadiene, polyisoprene, poly(2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), or poly(2-fluoro-1,3-butadiene) or a partially hydrogenated derivative thereof, and the second unsaturated polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C 3-8 α-olefins, and butadiene.

8. A process according to claim 3 wherein the first unsaturated polymer is polyisoprene, poly(2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), or poly(2-fluoro-1,3-butadiene) or a partially hydrogenated derivative of polybutadiene, polyisoprene, poly(2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), or poly(2-fluoro-1,3-butadiene), and the second unsaturated polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C 3-8 α-olefins, and butadiene.

9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the second unsaturated polymer is selected from the group consisting partially hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, poly(ethylene oxide), unsaturated polycarbonate, and poly(ethylene-co-octene -co-butadiene).

10. A process according to claim 1 wherein the metathesis is conducted in the presence of a catalyst comprising (A) at least one organometallic compound wherein the metal is selected from Groups 1, 2, 12 or 13 of the Periodic Table of Elements, (B) at least one metal derivative wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of metals of Groups 5, 6, or 7 of the Periodic Table of Elements, and, optionally, (C) at least one chelating- or Lewis base-material.

11. A process according to claim 1 wherein the metathesis is conducted in the presence of a catalyst comprising a compound of the general formula:

wherein:

M A is ruthenium or osmium;

X A and X B are the same or different anionic ligand;

L A is a neutral electron donor ligand;

L B is a neutral electron donor ligand or a nitrogen containing heterocyclic carbene; and

R A and R B are independently each occurrence hydrogen, or an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, carboxylate, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylthio, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, or silyl group of up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, an alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aralkyl, haloalkyl, haloalkoxy, haloaryl or haloalkaryl substituted derivative thereof; or a functionalized derivative of any of the foregoing wherein the functional group is hydroxyl, thiol, alcohol, sulfonic acid, phosphine, thioether, ketone, aldehyde, ester, ether, amine, imine, amide, imide, imido, nitro, carboxylic acid, disulfide, carbonate, isocyanate, carbodiimide, carboalkoxy, carbamate, acetal, ketal, boronate, cyano, cyanohydrin, hydrazine, oxime, hydrazide, enamine, sulfone, sulfide, sulfenyl, or halogen.

12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the catalyst comprises a ruthenium derivative wherein L B is a tertiary phosphine, and L A is either a tertiary phosphine or a nitrogen containing heterocyclic ligand.

13. A process according to claim 12 wherein L A is an imidazolidinyl- or triazolyl- ligand of the formula:

wherein Ar independently each occurrence is an aryl group of up to 50 atoms, and

R C independently each occurrence is hydrogen or an anionic ligand group or multiple R C groups collectively may form one or more fused rings.

14. A cross-metathesized reaction product preparable according to claim 1 .

15. A cross-metathesized reaction product preparable according to claim 14 wherein the expected Tg of the second polymer is less than −25° C.

16. The cross-metathesized reaction product according to claim 14 wherein one polymer block comprises a partially hydrogenated polybutadiene and another polymer block comprises a partially hydrogenated butadiene nitrile rubber.

17. The cross-metathesized reaction product according to claim 14 wherein one polymer block comprises a poly(ethylene oxide) and another polymer block comprises a poly(ethylene-co-butadiene).

18. The cross-metathesized reaction product according to claim 14 wherein one polymer block comprises a poly(ethylene-co-butadiene) and another polymer block comprises a poly(ethylene-co-octene-co-butadiene).

19. The cross-metathesized reaction product according to claim 14 wherein one polymer block comprises an unsaturated polycarbonate and another polymer block comprises a poly(ethylene-co-octene-co-butadiene).

20. A partially hydrogenated derivative of a cross-metathesized reaction product of claim 14 .