Patent ID: 7470760

Claim:
A process for the production of a linear or branched diene elastomer resulting from at least one conjugated diene, said elastomer comprising cyclic vinyl units in a mass content of greater than or equal to 15% and, prior to optional branching, having a number-average molecular weight falling within a range of from 10,000 to 300,000 g/mol, said process comprising the anionic polymerization of one or more monomers comprising at least one conjugated diene monomer, by a continuous reaction, in an inert aliphatic or alicyclic hydrocarbon solvent, of said monomer or monomers with a catalytic system comprising an organolithium initiator, a polar agent comprising two or more heteroatoms, and an alkali metal salt of an aliphatic or alicyclic alcohol, such that said system simultaneously satisfies the following three conditions: (i)the (polar agent:initiator) molar ratio is greater than or equal to 3, (ii) the (salt:initiator) molar ratio falls within a range of from 0.01 to 2, and (iii) the (salt:polar agent) molar ratio falls within a range of from 0.001 to 0.5.