GB843611A - Polymerisation process - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for polymerizing one or more unsaturated compounds having the formula <FORM:0843611/IV(a)/1> to solid polymers comprises bringing such compound or mixture into contact with an organo metallic substance having the formula LiR1, NaR1, MgR1R2, AlR1R2R3, AlR1R2X1 or AlR1X1X2 where A may be -CN, -COOR4, -COR5, or -CONR5R6, B may be hydrogen, chlorine or a methyl group, R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be alkyl or cycloalkyl groups and may be the same or different, R5 and R6 may be hydrogen or alkyl or cycloalkyl groups and may be the same or different, and X1 and X2 may be hydrogen or halogen or OR1 groups and may be the same or different. The unsaturated compounds may be the methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, amyl, octyl, nonyl, lauryl, palmityl, stearyl or cyclohexyl acrylate, methacrylate, or chloroacrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, methyl vinyl ketone, methyl isopropenyl ketone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-methyl methacrylamide or N, N-diethyl methacrylamide. The organo metallic substance may be lithium isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, or cyclohexyl, sodium ethyl, amyl, hexyl, octyl or cyclohexyl, magnesium dimethyl, diethyl, di-n-propyl, diisopropyl, dibutyl, dioctyl, dinonyl or dicyclohexyl, aluminium trimethyl, triethyl, tripropyl, tributyl or trinonyl or the aluminium partly alkyl or cycloalkyl and partly hydride or chloride. Polymerization is preferably effected in solution or dispersion in an inert liquid such as petroleum ether, heptane, benzene, cyclohexane, diethyl ether, dioxane or tetrahydrofuran. Specification 841,388 is referred to.