Patent GB-818412-A (GB)
Title: Polymerization process
IPC: C08J7/16
Filed: 1955-07-05
Abstract: A composite polymeric product is produced by polymerizing a monomer in situ on and/or in a polymeric material which has ion-exchange capacity, in the presence of a polymerization-initiating catalyst system at least partially bonded to the polymeric material by ion-exchange forces.  The polymeric material possessing ion-exchange capacity may be cellulose, wool, paper, alginic acid, starch, silk, or a material obtained by the oxidation of polyethylene, cellulose acetate, cellulose, and natural or synthetic rubber, by sulphonation of polystyrene or by replacement of the halogen atoms of polyhalostyrenes with amino groups.  The monomer may be styrene, vinyl acetate, n-butyl acrylate, acrylic acid, n-octyl acrylate, acrylonitrile, methylmethacrylate, methacrylic acid, p-chlorostyrene or 2,5-dichlorostyrene.  The catalyst system may be any catalyst which is an anion or cation under the conditions of bonding with the polymeric material or may be a redox system in which one of the essential members of the redox couple is a cation or an anion.  The Specification contains many examples of which the following are typical: (a) regenerated cellulose film or paper in sheet form is treated with an aqueous solution of ferrous ammonium sulphate, washed, and added to an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide which contains a monomer, e.g. methyl methacrylate.  Polymerization is effected under reflux; (b) cellulose into which amino groups have been introduced by reaction with 2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride, is reacted with persulphuric acid and then heated with aqueous acrylonitrile, with or without sodium bisulphite being present; 9c) cellulose film is reacted with cupric acetate or silver nitrate and the salt then reduced to metallic copper or silver.  On immersing the film in an aqueous solution containing ammonium persulphate and methyl methacrylate, polymer is deposited; (d) wool or silk is steeped in aqueous persulphuric acid, washed and reacted with an aqueous solution of monomer and ferrous ammonium sulphate or sodium bisulphite; (e) agar agar gel or calcium alginate film is steeped in ferrous ammonium sulphate solution and placed in an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide and methyl methacrylate, polymerization being effected at room temperature; (f) cellulose film treated with a ferrous salt is dropped into a boiling solution of p-chlorostyrene and benzoyl peroxide in xylene; (g) cellulose sponge or balsa wood sheets are steeped in a solution of a ferrous salt, washed, and introduced into an aqueous solution containing hydrogen peroxide and an acrylate or methacrylate; (h) polyethylene film is oxidized with concentrated sulphuric acid saturated with potassium dichromate, steeped in a solution of a ferrous salt, washed, and treated overnight with a solution containing hydrogen peroxide and methyl methacrylate; (i) poly-beta-amino-ethyl acrylate deposited on cellulose film by method (a) produced a film which could be dyed and could be used for ion-exchange after conversion of the amino groups to a salt; (j) wood may be rendered weather- and rot-resistant by depositing thereon a polymer of pentachlorophenyl acrylate by method (g) above; (k) cotton and rayon may be rendered rot-resistant by deposition of polyacrylonitrile, several processes being described: (1) an unsaturated surface may be obtained by the deposition on to cellulose of polyallyl acrylate, or other polymer of a monomer having more than one unsaturated group, which may ensure greater adhesion of ink or adhesives, or may be used to produce cross-linking. Specification 776,276, [Group VIII], is referred to.