The present invention provides a method for preparing a copolymer useful
for the manufacture of tires by coupling the ends of a living polymer,
obtained from copolymerization of a diene monomers in the presence of an
organolithium initiator and a hydrocarbon solvent, with a multi-reactive
polysiloxane compound, and subsequently modifying the remaining uncoupled
ends of the polymer with an amine compound. The use of the copolymer thus
obtained for tire production improves the affinity to silica and greatly
enhances the dynamic properties required for tires, such as wet traction
and rolling resistance.