Patent ID: 8071689

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a siloxy-amine functionalized rubbery polymer comprising: polymerizing a conjugated diene monomer to form a polymer by using an organolithium compound as an initiator in a hydrocarbon solvent; and subsequently, reacting an active terminal end of the polymer with a functionalized terminating agent represented by the general formula: RNâ€”(CH 2 ) x Si(OR 1 ) 3 , wherein R, in combination with the nitrogen (N) atom, is a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aromatic compound which includes a ring structure with one nitrogen atom as part of the ring, wherein the heterocyclic aromatic compound is 2,5-methylpyrrole, pyrrole, quinoline, or pyridine; R 1 represents a group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms selected from an alkyl, a cycloalkyl, an allyl, or an aryl; and X is an integer from 1 to 20.