GB1067482A - Improvements in and relating to polymers - Google Patents

Abstract

Polyhydrocarbons containing halogen-containing residues are reacted with a catalyst deactivator which is an aliphatic phosphate, borate, sulphate, or carbonate to form a volatizable halide and an inert non-corrosive residue. Catalyst deactivators used are triethyl phosphate, trimethyl phosphate, ethylene carbonate and ethyl borate. Polymers exemplified are homopolymers of ethylene, propylene and butene-1, and a graft copolymer of ethylene and propylene, produced using a catalyst comprising ethyl aluminium dichloride, hexamethyl phosphoric triamid and titanium trichloride, and polypropylene produced using a solution of lithium aluminium hydride and titanium trichloride in heptane as catalyst. The deactivator is directly incorporated in the polymer with the latter in solution or melt form or, with the polymer in a powder form, the deactivator is incorporated by means of a fluidized bed technique using as carrier gas the monomer of the polymerization process or an inert gas. The polymers are preferably subjected to a pretreatment prior to treatment with the deactivator and such pretreatments exemplified are bleaching in air and treatment under fluidizing conditions with steam, moist air, moist nitrogen, moist carbon dioxide followed by anhydrous ammonia, and a moist carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen mixture.