Patent GB-945151-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the production of polymers from monomeric epoxy compounds
Inventor: WADDAN DHAFIR YUSUF
IPC: C08G65/08
Filed: 1959-09-25
Abstract: Epoxy compounds are polymerized by a catalyst which is a mixture of a metal compound of the formula M(OR)xR1y(Hal)p and a metal compound of the formula M1(Hal)z, where M is a metal of Group 2, 3, 4 or 8 of the Periodic Table, OR is an alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aroxy or substituted aroxy group, R1 is an alkyl, aryl or substituted alkyl or aryl group, x is an integer, and y and p are integers or zero where (x+y+p) is the valency of M, and M1 is a metal of Group 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 and is different from M, z is 3 or higher and Hal is a halogen atom. Examples of the first type of compound are aluminium ethyl diethoxide and diisopropoxide, aluminium diethyl ethoxide, aluminium triisopropoxide and triphenoxide, zinc diethoxide, diisopropoxide, diphenoxide and ethyl ethoxide, magnesium diethoxide, ethylethoxide and ethyl phenoxide, aluminium diethoxy chloride and ethyl ethoxy chloride, titanium tetraethoxide and ferric triethoxide.  Examples of the second component are aluminium chloride, titanium tri- and tetra-chloride, stannic chloride, ferric chloride, antimony trichlorides, chromium tri-chloride and manganese trifluoride.  The epoxy compound may be any oxirane, e.g. ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, styrene oxide, epichlorhydrin, cyclohexene oxide, butadiene mono- and di-epoxides, and allyl, phenyl, tolyl, chlorophenyl and naphthyl glycidyl ethers.  A solvent may be present.  Polymers of cyclic epoxy compounds may be freed from catalyst by decomposing the catalyst with alcohol, washing with dilute HCl and then water, extracting with benzene and distilling off volatiles to give products which are usually viscous oils.  Alkylene oxide polymers are purified by conventional means.  Examples describe the polymerization of ethylene and styrene oxides.  Specifications 785,053, 785,229, 793,065, 867,452, 875,161, 875,162, 875,954 and 887,573 are referred to.ALSO:A catalyst composition for polymerizing epoxy compounds (see Division C3) comprises a metal compound of the formula M(OR)xR1y(Hal)p and a metal compound of the formula M1(Hal)z, where M is a metal of Group II, III, IV or VIII of the Periodic Table, OR is an alkoxy, aroxy or substituted alkoxy or aroxy radical, R1 is an alkyl, aryl or substituted alkyl or aryl radical, x is an integer and y and p are integers or zero where (x+y+p) is the valency of M, and M1 is a metal of Group III, IV, V, VI, VII or VIII and is different from M, z is 3 or higher and Hal is a halogen atom.  Examples of the first type of compound are aluminium ethyldiethoxide, ethyldiisopropoxide, diethylethoxide, triisopropoxide, triphenoxide, diethoxychloride and ethylethoxychloride; zinc diethoxide, diisopropoxide, diphenoxide and ethylethoxide; and magnesium diethoxide, ethylethoxide and ethylphenoxide.  Examples of the second component are aluminium chloride, titanium tri- and tetra-chlorides, chromium trichloride, stannic chloride, ferric chloride, antimony trichloride and manganese trifluoride.  The compounds may be used in solution, e.g. in benzene. Specifications 785,053, 785,229, 793,065, 867,452, 875,161, 875,162, 875,954 and 887,573 are referred to.