GB1067379A - Polymerisation process - Google Patents

Abstract

A cross-linked polymer of 2,4-pentadienoic acid is produced by heating the acid above its melting-point. Up to 19 times its own weight of another ethylenically unsaturated material may be copolymerized with the acid, the said material being selected from the esters, salts and amide of 2,4-pentadienoic acid; alkenyl halides; alkenyl monocarboxylic acids; esters, amides and nitriles of the said alkenyl monocarboxylic acids; alkenyl esters of fatty acids; aralkenes and dienes. Polymerization is carried out in bulk or in a liquid medium which may be a solvent or non-solvent for the acid and may be a copolymerizable monomer. Additives such as dyes, pigments, stabilizers and fillers may be incorporated in the polymerizable mixture and moulded objects produced therefrom. In other embodiments the polymerizable mixture is applied to a substrate and polymerized to form a coating; or is used to bond two surfaces together; or is mixed with glass fibres and blended with a plastic, e.g. polymethyl methacrylate or polyvinyl chloride, during or after heating the mixture, in which case methyl methacrylate is a suitable comonomer with the 2,4-pentadienoic acid. In examples the acid, alone or together with methyl acrylate' ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, styrene or vinyl acetate is polymerized between surfaces of metal, leather, wood, glass or synthetic polymer.