GB1077091A - Polymerising epoxides - Google Patents

Abstract

Oxiranes are polymerized in the presence of a catalyst prepared by the reaction of (a) one mole of an organometallic compound of the formula MRR1R11, in which M is aluminium or boron and R, R1, R11 are C1- 8 alkyl groups, (b) x moles of an organometallic compound of the formula M1YY1, in which M1 is a metal of Group II of the Periodic Table, Y and Y1 are C1- 8 alkyl groups and x is at least 0.1, and (c) y moles of water, where y is from 0.1 to (2+x). The oxiranes are of the formula <FORM:1077091/C3/1> in which Q and Q1 are hydrogen atoms, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon or hydrocarbonoxymethyl groups, or together form a cycloalkyl group with the intermediate carbon atoms. Suitable monomers include ethylene, propylene and styrene oxides, and phenyl and allyl glycidyl ether for polymerization, and propylene oxide and allyl glycidyl ether for copolymerization. Preferred catalyst systems are organoaluminium compounds and organozinc compounds with water. Solvents for the monomers may also be employed. The unsaturated copolymers may be vulcanized. The examples prepare polymers of ethylene oxide, and of propylene oxide, and copolymers of propylene oxide and allyl glycidyl ether with a zinc diethyl-aluminium triethyl-water catalyst in varying proportions. Vulcanization of an allylglycidyl ether-propylene oxide copolymer mixed with conventional fillers, anti-oxidants, and vulcanizing agents is also described.ALSO:A catalyst system for polymerising epoxides comprises or is prepared from: (a) one mole of an organometallic compound of formula MRR1R11, where R, R1, R11 are C1-8 alkyl groups, and M is aluminium or boron, (b) x moles of an organometallic compound of the formula M1 Y Y1, where M1 is a Group II metal, Y, Y1 are C1-8 alkyl groups, and x is at least 0.1, and (c) y moles of water where y is from 0.1 to (2+x). Preferred catalyst systems comprise organoaluminium compounds, organozinc compounds and water, while Al(C2H5)3/Zn(C2H5)2/H2O is the exemplified catalyst. The catalyst may be prepared from the compounds in any suitable manner, e.g. in situ or during the polymerisation.