| abstract |
Initiators are described which are useful in the polymerization of dienes and vinyl monomers to form star polymers having an average of about 4 to 9 arms or branches. These star polymers are suitable, among other things, for low profile or low shrinkage additives for FRPs, e.g. glass fiber reinforced plastics. The initiators are obtained by adding divinylbenzene and / or diisopropenylbenzene in a hydrocarbon solvent for a period of time at low temperature to a hydrocarbon solvent which is a C ↓ 2 ↓ - ↓ 2 ↓ 0 normal, secondary or tertiary alkyl or cycloalkyllithium compound and a tertiary alkylamine of 2 to 4 carbon atoms prepared at low temperature to form an initiator having an average of 4 to 9 C-Li sites and a VPO M n of about 750 to 4000. |