Patent ID: 9353205
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: C08F

Claim Text:
1. A solution polymerization process for producing a high-cis polydiene, comprising: polymerizing at least one conjugated diene monomer in an organic solvent in the presence of at least one thiol compound and a lanthanide-based catalyst composition to produce a polydiene having a cis-1,4-linkage of 90-99%, wherein the at least one thiol compound is represented by the general formula R—S—H, where R is a hydrocarbyl group or a substituted hydrocarbyl group; wherein the lanthanide-based catalyst composition comprises (a) a lanthanide compound, (b) an alkylating agent including an aluminoxane, and (c) a halogen source, where (c) may optionally be provided by (a), (b), or both (a) and (b); and wherein the molar ratio of the at least one thiol compound to the lanthanide compound ranges from 0.01:1 to 100:1.