Patent ID: 7763686

Claim:
A process for producing a polyalkenyl ether by polymerizing an alkenyl ether represented by general formula (II): CHR 1 ═CH(OR 2 ) (II), where R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and R 2 represents a monovalent organic group, using a cation source in the presence of first and second Lewis acids wherein the first and the second Lewis acids are different, and an oxygen-containing or nitrogen-containing organic compound, the process comprising the steps of: mixing the cation source and the first Lewis acid to generate initiator cations; and subsequently adding the alkenyl ether represented by the general formula (II) and the second Lewis acid for initiating a high-speed polymerization reaction, wherein the first Lewis acid is a halide or an organometallic compound of an element selected from the group consisting of Mg, B, Al, Si, and P, the second Lewis acid is a halide or an organometallic compound of an element of the fourth period or higher in the periodic table, and the cation source is a proton acid, water, an alcohol, a halide, a hydrogen halide, or an adduct of a carboxylic acid and a vinyl ether, wherein the alkenyl ether represented by the general formula (II) and the first Lewis acid are used at a molar ratio in a range of 10 to 1000, and wherein the alkenyl ether represented by the general formula (II) and the second Lewis acid are used at a molar ratio in a range of 10 to 1000.