GB1018970A - New copolymers and articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A transparent copolymer of 5,5-dimethyl-hexene-1 with a minor amount of a linear 1-olefine having from 4 to 18 carbon atoms is made by copolymerizing a mixture of the monomers in the presence of a catalyst which under the polymerization conditions will polymerize propylene to a polymer which is at least 70% insoluble in boiling heptane, and deashing the obtained copolymer using a dry reagent to reduce the ash content of the polymer to less than 0.1% by weight. The copolymer may be random or block. The copolymerization may be effected in the presence of hydrogen, and in bulk, or in an inert diluent or solvent, such as a petrol fraction boiling between 180 DEG and 220 DEG C., toluene, or chlorobenzene. The 1-olefine may be butene, pentene, hexene, or heptene. The de-ashing reagent may be a hydrocarbon miscible alcohol such as isopropanol, butanol, nonanol, isodecanol, an acid such as n-nonoic acid, an amine such as 3,5,5-trimethylhexylamine, or a mixture of an alcohol and a complex-forming carbonyl compound e.g. isopropanol mixed with acetylacetone. The exemplified catalyst is a mixture of Al(C2H5)2Cl and TiCl3 obtained by reducing TiCl4 with aluminium ethyl sesquichloride.