Patent GB-461495-A (GB)
Title: Manufacture of artificial masses
IPC: C08L29/10
Filed: 1935-07-11
Abstract: Soluble, non-brittle, colourless resins are obtained by polymerizing phenyl-vinyl-ketone which has been freed from coloured impurities and those which cause brittle resins to be formed.  The ketone may be separated in crystalline form from a solution in, for example, propane, pentane, hexane, or petroleum ether by cooling below -30 DEG C. e.g. to -70 DEG  C., or may be purified by distilling with a solvent such as toluene, xylene, or ethyl benzene, or with steam. The solution obtained by the distillation may be polymerized directly; the aqueous dispersion may be stabilized by adding water-soluble colloids and polymerized.  If a salt such as sodium or calcium chloride is added to the acqueous dispersion, the polymer is obtained in the form of pearls or lentils.  The polymerization is effected by heating and, if desired, aided by benzoyl-, diacetyl-, or oleic acid peroxide.  Other polymerizable bodies, e.g. ethyl acrylate, vinyl acetate or formate may be added before polymerizing. The resins produced are soluble in methylene chloride, benzene, toluene, xylene, and cyclohexanone, and turbid solutions formed on heating with ethyl, propyl, butyl, or amyl acetate may be cleared by adding a benzene hydrocarbon, methylene chloride, or cyclohexanone. Mixtures of methylene chloride with methyl or ethyl alcohol are good solvents.  The mixed polymer from the p  purified ketone and ethyl acrylate dissolves in ethyl, propyl, butyl, and amyl acetate.  From solutions in methylene chloride or aromatic hydrocarbons films may be cast or, with cyclohexanone or methylcyclohexanone, lacquers may be produced.  The resins may be moulded to form bands, foils, threads, tubes, dental implements, sound boards, knife handles, or toys, if desired, after working up, e.g. on friction rollers with dyes, fillers such as talcum, asbestos, soot, or carbon, softeners such as alkylated or aralkylated e.g. benzyl- or butylnaphthalene, phthalates, e.g. butyl, isobutyl, or isopropyl phthalate, or camphor, or other polymers.  A sheet formed from a plastic produced by kneading the polymerized pure ketone with benzyl naphthalene and benzene is used as the non-brittle layer of compound glass.  The Provisional Specification states that the resins may be mixed with cellulose derivatives, vegetable oils and their resinous purification products, natural and artificial resins, in the production of lacquers, and describes the preparation of the ketone by heating acetophenone, formaldehyde solution, and ammonium chloride, pouring the product into water and allowing to stand.  The crystals separated are dissolved in hot alcohol, precipitated and washed with ether, dried, and steam distilled. The milky distillate is extracted with hexane, the hexane solution dried by means of calcium chloride, cooled to -80 DEG  C., and the resulting crystals washed with cooled hexane.  A benzene solution of the polymerized ketone is converted into a lacquer by adding butyl acetate, cyclohexanol acetate, or cyclohexanone.  Purified phenyl-vinyl-ketone and ethyl acrylate are polymerized in toluene solution with the aid of benzoyl peroxide. The solution forms, on evaporation, adherent films on glass, metal, and woven fabrics, and on addition of butyl acetate and aluminium grindings a weatherproof lacquer is formed.