High styrene high vinyl styrene-butadiene rubber with narrow molecular weight distribution and methods for preparation thereof

1. A polymer having at least the following characteristics:

(a) a block styrene content with more than 6 consecutive styrene units from about 15 to about 35 weight percent based on total styrene content in the polymer;

(b) a vinyl content from about 25 to about 80 weight percent based on total amount of polymerized 1,3-diene;

(c) a styrene content from about 35 to about 75 weight percent based on total weight of polymer; and

(d) a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of 1.5 or less.

2. The polymer of claim 1 having at least the following additional characteristic:

(e) a block styrene content with more than 4 consecutive styrene units from about 60 to about 80 weight percent based on total styrene content in the polymer.

3. The polymer of claim 1 having a styrene content of between about 35 and about 65 weight percent based on total styrene content.

4. The polymer of claim 1 having a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) from about 1.05 to 1.5.

5. The polymer of claim 1 wherein the 1,3-diene comprises 1,3-butadiene.

6. The polymer of claim 1 having a number-average molecular weight (Mn) greater than or equal to about 200,000 g/mole.

7. The polymer of claim 1 having a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) greater than or equal to about 300,000 g/mole.

8. A composition comprising the polymer of claim 1 and at least one additive.

9. An article comprising at least one component formed from the composition of claim 8 .

10. A process for polymerization of a polymer comprising monomeric units derived from a styrene monomer and a 1,3-diene monomer, the process comprising:

polymerizing the styrene monomer and the 1,3-diene monomer in the presence of an active initiator, a potassium alcoholate comprising potassium-3,7-dimethyl-3-octylate, and an organic ether compound;

wherein the organic ether compound is selected among dialkylethers of the formula R 1 —O—CH 2 —CH(R 3 )—O—R 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 independently represent alkyl groups with 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R 3 represents hydrogen, methyl or ethyl and wherein the molar ratio of potassium alcoholate to active initiator is 0.4 mol/mol or less.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein R 1 is methyl or ethyl and R 2 is a branched alkyl group.

12. The process of claim 10 wherein the polymerization is run at a temperature of about 90° C. or less.

13. The process of claim 10 wherein the molar ratio of the dialkylether to the potassium alcoholate is between about 55:1 and about 5:1 and/or the molar ratio of dialkylether to active initiator is between about 0.5 and about 10.

14. The process of claim 10 wherein total monomer conversion is greater than about 96 weight percent based on total amount of monomer feed.