GB834332A - Polymerisation process for ethylenically unsaturated compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

Ethylenically unsaturated compounds, e.g. ethylene, styrene, methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile, are polymerized using as catalysts compounds containing linear arrangements of 5 or more nitrogen atoms incorporating at least two -N = N- bonds. Catalysts specified are 1,5 - diphenyl - 3 - methyl - 1,4 - pentazadiene, 1,5 - di - (p - tolyl) - 3 - butyl - 1,4 - pentazadiene, 1,5 - di - (p - tolyl) - 1,4 - pentazadiene, 1,6 - di - (p - chlorphenyl) - 3,4 - diacetyl - 1,5 - hexazadiene, 1,6 - (diphenyl) - 3,4 - di - (carboisopropoxy) - 1,5 - hexazadiene, 1,3,6,8 - tetraphenyl - 1,4,7 - octazatriene and 1,8 - di - (p - tolyl) - 3,6 - diphenyl - 1,4,7 - octazatriene. Polymerization may be in bulk or in an inert medium and may be batchwise or continuous. When polymerizing ethylene, antioxidants and/or chain transfer agents, such as hydrogen, carbon tetrachloride or chloroform, may be present. In examples ethylene is added during the reaction and the purification of product with xylene and methanol is described. Example 18 describes the addition of hydroquinone to stop polymerization and in Example 20 steam distillation of the product in the presence of chloroform is illustrated. Specification 808,667 is referred to.