GB1186776A - Vulcanizable Olefin Copolymers - Google Patents

Abstract

1,186,776. Unsaturated hydrocarbon copolymers. MONTECATINI EDISON S.p.A. 30 May, 1967 [1 June, 1966], No. 24946/67. Heading C3P. Substantially linear, vulcanizable, unsaturated high molecular weight copolymers containing monomeric units of one or more alkylidene-norbornenes having a double bond located in the terminal positions of the alkenyl group and directly linked to the norbornene ring with ethylene and one or more aliphatic alphaolefins of the general formula R-CH = CH 2 in which R is an alkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms are made by polymerizing a mixture of the monomers in the presence of a halogen containing catalyst obtained from a vanadium compound and an organometallic compound, or hydride of aluminium, beryllium, or lithium-aluminium and in which at least one of the catalyst components contains at least one halogen atom. A oomplexing agent such as an ether, thioether, tertiary amine, or trisubstituted phosphine containing at least one branched alkyl group or an aromatic nucleus may also be present. The copolymerization may be effected in bulk or in a hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon solvent or diluent Specified alkylidene-norbornenes are 5-ethylidene, 5 - butylidene, and 5 - pentylidenenorbornene-2. The alpha-olefin may be propylene or butene-1. The Specification contains an extensive list of hydrides and organometallic compounds. The catalyst is preferably formed in situ. Exemplified catalysts are aluminium diethylmonochloride and vanadium triacetylacetonate, or vanadium oxytrichloride. The polymerization is preferably carried out at - 20‹ C. The copolymers may be sulphur vulcanized or oxidized with ozone to carbonyl groups, or reacted with metal hydrides such as LiH, NaBH 4 , or AlH(C 4 H 9 ) 2 .