GB876062A - Improvements in or relating to the production of polymeric material from monomeric epoxy compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

Monomeric epoxy compounds of general formula: <FORM:0876062/IV (a)/1> -in which R and R1 are each a hydrogen atom or hydrocarbon radical; R11 is a hydrogen atom, or a hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon radical; or R or R1 may be joined to R11 to form a cycloaliphatic ring-or a mixture of two or more monomeric epoxy compounds of the above formula, are polymerized in contact with a catalyst of general formula: [M1(R1)(R2)a(F)c](M2)y in which M1 represents magnesium, calcium or aluminium; M2 represents a Group I metal or, when M1 represents aluminium, M2 may represent magnesium or calcium; R1 represents a phenoxy or substituted phenoxy radical; R2 represents a hydrocarbon radical, an alkoxy or phenoxy radical; F represents a fluorine atom; a and c are either integers or zero, and a+c= valency of M1; and <FORM:0876062/IV (a)/2> Epoxy compounds specified are epichlorohydrin, ethylene oxide, 1, 2-propylene oxide, 2, 3-butylene oxide, 1, 1-dimethyl-ethylene oxide, isopropyl ethylene oxide, cyclohexene oxide and styrene oxide. Examples of catalysts which may be used are sodium aluminium tetraphenoxide, potassium aluminium ethyl triphenoxide, magnesium aluminium phenoxide and calcium aluminium phenoxide as well as complexes of the type NaFAl(O???)3. The reaction may be carried out at a temperature up to 300 DEG C., at pressures from atmospheric up to about 50 atmospheres and in the absence or presence of a solvent, e.g. benzene, toluene and xylene; an aliphatic hydrocarbon or a chlorinated hydrocarbon. In the examples, polymers are prepared from (1) ethylene oxide using magnesium aluminium phenoxide: <FORM:0876062/IV (a)/3> as catalyst and benzene as solvent (2) propylene oxide using calcium aluminium phenoxide and n-hexane.