Patent ID: 9631038
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: C08F

Claim:
1. A process for the preparation of polybutene having an exo-olefin content of at least 50 mol %, which process comprises complexing a Lewis acid catalyst with an oxygen and/or sulfur-containing Lewis base in a solvent selected from liquid, apolar, non-halogenated aliphatic solvents, or and liquid aromatic solvents, contacting isobutene or an isobutene-containing monomer mixture, with the resulting Lewis acid/Lewis base complex, in a substantially or completely apolar polymerization medium, and initiating polymerization of said isobutene or an isobutene-containing monomer mixture with an initiator, wherein said Lewis acid catalyst is a Lewis acid of the formula MR″ m Y n , wherein M is a metal selected from Al, Fe, Ga, Hf, Zr or W; R″ is a hydrocarbyl group; Y is halogen; m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 5, n is an integer of 1 to 6 and m+n is equal to the valency of metal M, with the proviso that, when M is Al, m is 1 and when said solvent is a liquid, apolar, non-halogenated aliphatic solvent, m is at least 1; and the initiator is a compound of the formula RX, wherein X is a halide; R is a hydrocarbyl group that forms a stable carbocation, and wherein the carbon linking group R to group X is tertiary, benzylic or allylic.