Patent GB-635576-A (GB)
Title: An improved manufacture of polymers of propylene
IPC: C07C2/20
Filed: 1947-04-18
Abstract: <PICT:0635576/IV (a)/1> Polymers of propylene containing 9 to 24 carbon atoms per molecule are made by treating propylene with a Friedel - Crafts catalyst at a temperature above 0 DEG  C. in the presence of an organic oxygen compound or a nitrogen, sulphur or halogen substituted derivative thereof in a quantity of from a trace to a molar proportion not exceeding that of the catalyst.  The compound may be an ether, e.g. isopropyl ether, 2,21-dichlorodiethyl ether or a polyglycol ether; alcohol, e.g. isopropyl alcohol, glycol, glycerine; ketone; aldehyde; acid; keto acid or ester.  The propylene, which may be diluted with butane, pentane or hexane, may be maintained in the liquid phase, using temperatures up to 91.4 DEG C. and pressures up to 100 atmospheres.  A suitable catalyst is boron fluoride.  The polymerization may be carried out batch-wise or continuously and the organic oxygen compound may be added intermittently or continuously.  The products may be sulphonated to form wetting agents or used in alkylating phenols. In a typical process a mixture of catalyst from tank 1 and liquid propylene from tank 7 is fed to a reaction vessel 6, a portion of the mixture being circulated from the reaction vessel through a heat exchanger 12, and the oxygen compound is fed from a blow-case 13 using pressure-gas from line 17.  The product overflows by line 19 into a receiver 20, whence liquid flows into a settler 21 and unconverted propylene and excess catalyst is vented to a recovery unit or recycled to the reaction vessel 6 through line 24. Residual catalyst is destroyed by injection of ammonia or caustic soda solution from line 26 and the polymer is decanted through line 27 to an activated clay filter 29, whence it passes to a fractionating still 31.ALSO:Polymers of propylene containing 9 to 24 carbon atoms per molecule are made by treating propylene with a Friedel-Crafts catalyst at a temperature above 0 DEG  C. in the presence of an organic oxygen compound or a nitrogen, sulphur or halogen substituted derivative thereof in a quantity of from a trace to a molar proportion not exceeding that of the catalyst.  The compound may be an ether, e.g. isopropyl ether, 2,21-dichlorodiethyl ether or a polyglycol ether, alcohol, e.g. isopropyl alcohol, glycol, glycerine, ketone, aldehyde, acid, keto acid or ester. The propylene, which may be diluted with butane, pentane or hexane, may be maintained in the liquid phase, using temperatures up to 91.4 DEG  C. and pressures up to 100 atmospheres. A suitable catalyst is boron fluoride.  The polymerization may be carried out batch-wise or continuously and the organic oxygen compound may be added intermittently or continuously.  The productsmay be sulphonated <PICT:0635576/IV (b)/1> to form wetting agents or used in alkylating phenols.  In a typical process a mixture of catalyst from tank 1 and liquid propylene from tank 7 is fed to a reaction vessel 6, a portion of the mixture being circulated from the reaction vessel through a heat exchanger 12, and the oxygen compound is fed from a blow-case 13 using pressure-gas from line 17.  The product overflows by line 19 into a receiver 20, whence liquid flows into a settler 21 and unconverted propylene and excess catalyst is vented to a recovery unit or recycled to the reaction vessel 6 through line 24.  Residual catalyst is destroyed by injection of ammonia or caustic soda solution from line 26 and the polymer is decanted through line 27 to an activated clay filter 29, whence it passes to a fractionating still 31.