Sheet and tube siloxane polymers

Organopolysiloxane sheet or tube polymers are made by contacting a sheet or tube silicate with an alkenyl group containing chlorosilane to form an alkenylsiloxy polymer, and subsequently contacting the alkenylsiloxy sheet or tube polymer with a hydrosilane or hydrosiloxane in the presence of a hydrosilation catalyst, to catalyze a reaction between the alkenyl group on the alkenylsiloxy polymer and hydride functionality on the hydrosilane or hydrosiloxane. Silylalkoxysiloxane sheet or tube polymers are made by contacting a sheet or tube silicate with an acidic solution of an alkenyl alcohol to form a polymeric sheet or tube alkenyloxysiloxane, and subsequently contacting the alkenyloxysiloxane with a hydrosilane or hydrosiloxane in the presence of a hydrosilation catalyst, to catalyze a reaction between the alkenyl group on the alkenyloxysiloxane and hydride functionality on the hydrosilane or hydrosiloxane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to silicone compounds, and methods of making 
silicate-based sheet and tube type siloxane polymers. 
Silicones are made from silica by reducing it in an electric furnace to 
silicon metal, i.e. 
EQU SiO.sub.2 +2 C.fwdarw.Si+2 CO 
The silicon metal is treated with RCl, typically methyl chloride, in the 
"Direct Process", as the basis of commercial production, i.e. 
EQU Si+2 RCl.fwdarw.R.sub.2 SiCl.sub.2 
Hydrolysis of the organochlorosilanes gives siloxane structures which are 
used in the manufacture of many silicone products, i.e. 
EQU nMe.sub.2 SiCl.sub.2 +2nH.sub.2 O.fwdarw.n[Me.sub.2 Si(OH).sub.2 
]+2nHCl.fwdarw.n[Me.sub.2 Si(OH).sub.2 ].fwdarw.HO(Me.sub.2 SiO).sub.n 
H+(n-1) H.sub.2 O 
Alternative routes to silicones involving the preparation of silicone 
polymers from silicate materials are embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,846 
(May 9, 1972). This invention is an improvement and furtherance of the 
efforts described in the '846 patent to find other unique approaches in 
the manufacture of silicones. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One object of this invention is to provide new, simple, and versatile 
routes, to siloxane polymers having segments derived from silicate 
structures by using readily accessible starting materials, that in many 
cases, give nontoxic byproducts. Another object is to prepare 
distinctively shaped organosiloxanes, useful as additives in conventional 
amorphous silicone materials such as resins, fluids, and gums; and to 
create "supramolecular" structures that offer benefits in the areas of 
gels, cosmetics, rheological additives, greases, elastomers, sealants, 
fire resistant materials, and molecular reinforcement. 
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a 
consideration of the detailed description.