Polymerization of Diene Monomers by Ziegler Type Catalysis
Abstract I have not gone into compounding and testing results on polyisoprene and polybutadiene. As you well know, they are widely used in the rubber industry. From a technical standpoint, we know we can replace natural rubber with cis-polyisoprene. However, the profitability of the process is closely tied to the availability of isoprene monomer and the price ratio of cis-polyisoprene and natural rubber. Sometimes the economics is favorable and sometimes unfavorable. Consequently, polyisoprene expansion is slow in the Free World. In the Communist countries, however, the planned economy is pushing ahead with polyisoprene—projections for 1985 are for 817 000 metric tons versus 227 000 metric tons in the Free World. Is there a possibility of an entirely new synthetic rubber that will be the equal of polyisoprene, but more economical? Is there a blend of elastomers that will replace natural? Is there a chance the economics of polyisoprene might become more favorable? Certainly the answers pose a challenge to those of us in research. We cannot sit back and say we have reached the ultimate, for the world of the tire is constantly changing, and we must be able to meet the change. The work reported here could not have been carried out without the invaluable contributions of my colleagues at BFGoodrich. I wish to especially mention: Jim Shipman and Jack Kiehl for the early infrared work and claiming that I was trying to fool them with my first copolymer; Vern Folt, the enthusiastic section leader for the early project ; Earl Carlson, who elucidated the conditions for making trans-polyisoprene and trans-polybutadiene ; Dave Craig for supplying the pure isoprene for the early work; Bob Minchak and Harold Tucker for some of the cobalt studies and titanium studies; Harvey Scott for the cobalt chloridealuminum chloridethiophene catalyst; Ed Wilson and M. Reinhart for compounding studies; Waldo Semon and Carlin Gibbs for directing it all and allowing us such a free hand; Floyd Miller, who did such an outstanding job of scaling the process directly from a 50 g lab recipe to production size runs; and the numerous, capable technicians who have worked for me— they are the unsung heroes of the laboratory work. Let me say again how highly honored I feel to receive this award. I am accepting it for all at BFGoodrich, for it was truly a team effort.