POLYMERS MODIFIED BY ACID END GROUPS, THEIR MANUFACTURE AND THEIR USE

Homo-, co- or block copolymers from vinyl aromatics and/or conjugated dienes, functionally modified at their chain ends, via amide gps., with acid end gps. or their salts, are characterised in that they contain salts of functional gps. of formulae -N(R1)-CO-R2-X (I), -N(H)-R3-N(H)-CO-R2-X (II), (III), (IV) or (V), where R1 = alkyl or aryl; R2 = a divalent organic gp.; R3 = a 2-20-membered bridge, of which at least the members next to the N atoms consist of -C(R6,R7)- radicals, and the others can be -C(R6,R7)- radicals, ethers or N-alkyl- or N-arylamino gps.; R6, R7 = H, (cyclo)alkyl or aryl; R4, R5, R8, R9 = alkyl or aryl or together form a bridging ring; X = COOH or SO3H or their salts or complexes with 1-, 2- and/or 3-valent anions from Periodic Gps. 1, 2 3 and 8. (B) polymers of (A) contg. more than 40 wt.% dienes are used for (a) impact resistance modification of thermoplastic compsns. based on polystyrene or on polyphenylene oxide or its mixt. with polystyrene or polyurethanes; (b) as components of hot melt adhesives; and (c) as components of lubricating oils. The polymers of (A) can be prepd. from homo-, co- and/or block copolymers of vinyl aromatics and/or conjugated dienes, prepd. by anionic polymerisation and functionally modified with amino gps., as well as their hydrogenation prod. with amine end gps.