GB967552A - Polymerization process - Google Patents

Abstract

Polymerizing at least one ester of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid by forming, at a temperature between -20 DEG and 40 DEG C., a solution of the ester and from 0.2 to 1.5 moles of an organomagnesium compound per mole of ester, mixing the solution with the same or different ester in such an amount as to provide a mixture containing from 0.01 to 0.2 moles of organomagnesium compound per mole of ester, and maintaining the mixture at a temperature between 0 DEG and -100 DEG C. until the polymer is formed. The magnesium compound has preferably the formula RMgY, where R represents an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkenyl, aralkenyl, or alkynyl group, and Y is bromine, or R. Exemplified compounds are phenyl magnesium bromide, diphenyl magnesium, and etherates thereof. The solvent for the monomers may be a hydrocarbon or an ether, or mixtures. The Specification mentions many monomers. In the examples the preparation of the following polymers is described polyisopropyl acrylate, polyallyl acrylate, poly 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, polyphenyl methacrylate, polystearyl methacrylate, polybenzyl methacrylate, poly sec-butyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, poly cyclohexyl acrylate, poly tert.-butyl acrylate, polyisobornyl acrylate, a copolymer of cyclohexyl and isobornyl acrylate, a copolymer of isopropyl acrylate and isobornyl acrylate, and a copolymer of isopropyl acrylate and 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate. The reaction is generally terminated by the addition of methyl alcohol, and the polymer recovered and purified by conventional techniques such as treatment with water, methanol, and hydrochloric acid. Specifications 841,338, 837,227, 884,733 and 967,551 are referred to.