Patent ID: 6087451
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: C08F,C08L

Abstract:
A polymerization process for the preparation of a polymer with covalently bound stable free radical groups at ends of the polymer, comprising the steps of:heating a mixture comprised of:(i) an initiator selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxide and azobisisobutyronitrile,(ii) a stable free radical selected from the group consisting of 2,2,5,5-tetraalkyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxy and derivatives thereof, 2,2,6,6-tetraalkyl-1-piperidinyloxy and derivatives thereof, 4,4-dialkyl-3-oxazolinyloxy and derivatives thereof, and di-tertiary alkyl substituted nitroxides, and(iii) a bifunctional free radical reactive compound selected from the group consisting of divinyl benzene, diisopropenyl benzene, 1,4-pentadiene, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, divinyl ether, bisphenol A dimethacrylate, and bisoxyethylenated bisphenol A diacrylate,to form an intermediate bifunctional free radical adduct compound represented by SFR-I-B-I-SFR, wherein SFR is a residue of said stable free radical, I is a residue of said initiator, and B is a residue of said bifunctional free radical reactive compound;adding polymerizable monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylates and methacrylates to the intermediate bifunctional free radical adduct compound to form a mixture; andheating the mixture at a temperature of from about 70 to about 180.degree. C. to polymerize the monomers to form a bifunctional thermoplastic resin of the formula SFR-R.sub.1 -I-B-I-R.sub.2 -SFR wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are polymerized forms of said monomers, said thermoplastic resin having a polydispersity of from about 1.25 to about 1.70.