Rubbery diene polymer composition containing an oxidized polymer of butadiene

Claim 1

AS A NEW COMPOSITION OF MATTER, RUBBERY DIENE POLYMER AND, AS A SOFTENER THEREFOR, A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) AN OXIDIZED POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HOMOPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE AND COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE WITH COMPOUNDS CONTAINING AN ACTIVE CH2=C< GROUP, SAID OXIDIZED POLYMER CONTAINING UP TO 15 PERCENT OXYGEN BY WEIGHT, SAID OXYGEN BEING PRESENT IN THE FORM OF CARBONYLIC OXYGEN AND HYDROXYL OXYGEN, SAID OXIDIZED POLYMER HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY MIXING A LIQUID POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HOMOPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE AND COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE WITH COMPOUNDS CONTAINING AN ACTIVE CH2=C< GROUP WITH A SOLVENT, CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE WITH A FREE OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 125* TO 375*F., STOPPING THE FLOW OF SAID OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS, MAINTAINING SAID ELEVATED TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO DECOMPOSE PEROXIDE GROUPS, RECOVERING THE OXIDIZED POLYMER, AND (2) A HYDROGENATED OXYGENATED POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HOMOPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE AND COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE WITH COMPOUNDS CONTAINING AN ACTIVE CH2=C< GROUP, SAID POLYMER HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY HYDROGENATING AN OXYGENATED POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HOMOPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE AND COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE WITH COMPOUNDS CONTAINING AN ACTIVE CH2=C< GROUP, SAID OXIDIZED POLYMER CONTAINING UP TO 15 PERCENT OXYGEN BY WEIGHT, SAID OXYGEN BEING PRESENT IN THE FORM OF CARBONYLIC OXYGEN AND HYDROXYL OXYGEN, AND HAVING A VISCOSITY OF 300 TO 10,000 SAYBOLT FUROL SECONDS AT 100* F. AND A HYDROXYL NUMBER OF 10 TO 250 MG. OF POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE PER GRAM OF SAID OXYGENATED POLYMER, SAID HYDROGENATION BEING EFFECTED BY MIXING SAID OXYGENATED POLYMER WITH A SOLVENT, CONTACTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE WITH HYDROGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF 70 TO 400*F. UNDER A PRESSURE OF 30 TO 4000 P.S.I.G., AND RECOVERING THE THUS TREATED POLYMER.