Patent GB-851063-A (GB)
Title: Chemical process
IPC: C08F10/00
Filed: 1959-03-12
Abstract: Olefins are polymerized in the presence of a solvent comprising a chlorinecontaining aliphatic hydrocarbon containing not more than one hydrogen atom and a catalyst made from compounds of elements of Group IV(a), V(a), or VI(a) of the Bohr-Thomson Periodic Table and an organometallic compound of aluminium in which the aluminium is directly attached to at least one and not more than two alkyl groups, and the remaining valency bonds of the aluminium are satisfied by alkoxy groups.  The resulting olefin polymer may be chlorinated or chlorosulphonated whilst still in the polymerization medium.  The olefin may be ethylene or propylene or mixtures thereof.  The preferred compounds are halides in particular chlorides of titanium, zirconium, thorium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and uranium.  Aluminium compounds mentioned are diethylaluminium ethoxide, diisobutylaluminium ethoxide, and ethyl aluminium diethoxide. Chlorine-containing aliphatic solvents mentioned are carbon tetrachloride, trichlorofluomethane, chloroform, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro-1, 2-difluoroethane, and 1,2-dichloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluorethane.  The polymer can be isolated by destroying the catalyst with isopropyl alcohol, and washing the precipitated product with acetone.  In an example a copolymer of ethylene and propylene prepared in carbon tetrachloride in the presence of titanium tetrachloride and diethylaluminium ethoxide was sulphochlorinated by deactivating the catalyst with isopropyl alcohol, dissolving azobis (isobutyronitrile) in the solution, simultaneously adding chlorine and sulphur dioxide to the solution with agitation and exposure to light, degassing the solution with nitrogen, adding a stabilizer consisting of the reaction product of one mole of diphenylol propane with two moles of epichlorhydrin, and precipitating part of the sulphochlorinated polymer with isopropyl alcohol.  After removing the precipitate, the remaining solution of the polymer was further reacted with an unsaturated amine in accordance with Specification 851,062 i.e. by treating with a solution of allylamine dissolved in carbon tetrachloride. Subsequently this further aftertreated polymer was isolated and compounded with magnesium oxide, benzothiazyl disulphide, mercaptobenzothiazole, and sulphur and cured for one hour at 153 DEG C.  The polymers before after treatment may be oily. Specification 599,687 also is referred to.ALSO:A catalyst composition suitable for use in the polymerization of olefins comprises a chlorine-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon containing not more than one hydrogen atom and a catalyst made from compounds of elements of Group IVA, VA, or VIA of the BohrThomsen periodic table and an organometallic compound of aluminium in which the aluminium is directly attached to at least one and not more than two alkyl groups and in which the remaining valencies of aluminium is satisfied by alkoxy groups.  The preferred compounds are halides, in particular chlorides, of titanium, zirconium, thorium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and uranium.  Aluminium compounds mentioned are diethylaluminium ethoxide, diisobutylaluminium ethoxide, and ethyl aluminium diethoxide.  The chlorine-containing aliphatic solvent may be carbon tetrachloride, trichlorofluoromethane, chloroform, 1,1,2,2,-tetrachloro1,2,-difluoroethane, and 1,2-dichloro-1,1,2,2,tetrafluoroethane.  Specifications 599,687 and 851,062 are referred to.