Patent GB-369313-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the manufacture and production of artificial masses
IPC: C08F8/28
Filed: 1931-01-14
Abstract: Polymeric alcohols, the unsaturated monomers of which contain a chain of more than two carbon atoms, are manufactured by hydrogenation, in the presence of a nickel catalyst, of polymerized aldehydes and ketones, such as polymeric acrolein, polymeric methylvinyl or ethylvinyl ketone or polymeric b -methylvinyl-methyl ketone.ALSO:Artificial masses are manufactured by condensing a polymeric alcohol, the unsaturated monomer of which contains a chain of more than two carbon atoms, with an aldehyde or polymer thereof. The alcohols may be prepared by the reduction, e.g. by means of hydrogen in the presence of a nickel catalyst, of polymeric aldehydes or ketones of the type of polymeric acrolein, polymeric methylvinyl or ethylvinyl ketone or polymeric b -methylvinylmethyl ketone, or by the saponification of the polymeric acetates of the homologues of polymeric vinyl alcohol, such as polymeric methylvinyl acetate (obtainable by heating acetic anhydride with methylacetylene in an autoclave and polymerizing the resulting monomeric methylvinyl acetate by heating in the presence of benzoyl peroxide).  Aldehydes specified for the condensation are: formaldehyde and its polymers, e.g. trioxymethylene and paraformaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, and benzaldehyde.  The condensation is advantageously carried out in the presence of acid-reacting substances, such as mineral acids and acid salts, e.g. hydrochloric, sulphuric, phosphoric or nitric acids and acid sodium or potassium sulphates, aluminium sulphate or chloride or monosodium phosphate. Solvents or diluents, such as water, glacial acetic acid and acetone or dioxane may be employed, and the reaction may be accelerated by heating in a closed vessel to a temperature above the boiling-point of one or more constituents of the reaction mixture.  The products are useful for the preparation of lacquers, impregnating agents, threads, and films, and may be employed as intermediate adhesive layers between glass plates in the preparation of nonsplintering glass.  They may also be moulded by pressing, if desired with the addition of softening agents, e.g. triaryl- or trialkylphosphates or phthalic esters, dyestuffs, or fillers, e.g. wood meal, slate meal, or talc.  In example: (1) polymeric methyl vinyl ketone (prepared by keeping the monomeric ketone in the presence of 30 per cent aqueous hydrogen peroxide at room temperature for a week) is reduced by hydrogen in the presence of a nickel catalyst, and the resulting polymeric methylvinylcarbinol is boiled with aqueous formaldehyde in the presence of concentrated hydrochloric acid; (2) methyl vinyl ketone is polymerized by standing three days with 50 per cent aqueous hydrogen peroxide and reduced as in (1); the polymeric alcohol produced is condensed with trioxymethylene at 100 DEG  C. in the presence of 80 per cent sulphuric acid; (3) polymeric acrolein (obtained by allowing acrolein to stand and then distilling off unpolymerized residues) is reduced by hydrogen in the presence of metallic nickel to the polymeric primary alcohol, which is boiled with aqueous formaldehyde and concentrated sulphuric acid.