Abstract: Polyphenylene ethers, especially poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) ether, are reacted, in the presence of carboxylic acids, with formaldehyde and hydrogen bromide, whereby 0.02-1 bromomethyl group is introduced, per phenyl nucleus, and a product is obtained containing up to 37.6% by weight of bromine, and losing 2-40% of its weight by thermogravimetric analysis at 250.degree.-325.degree. C. The resultant bromomethylated polyphenylene ethers are suitable, inter alia, as flame retardants.

Abstract: New damping (insulating) materials are based on polyvinyl chloride particles or balled up fibers which are extremely lightweight and have a bulk density of 10-200 g/l and a particle weight less than 1 g. The particles are either enveloped by sheets or combined into lightweight components by means of heat or by the addition of binders, such as adhesives, fusion (hot-melt) adhesives, curable polymers, or frothed (pre-foamed), expandable polymers.

Abstract: The invention concerns the production of a voluminous, particulate vinyl chloride polymer by precipitation of a solution of the polymer in a heated, agitated nonsolvent with removal of the solvent by distillation, the nonsolvent exhibiting a boiling point of >100.degree. C. under normal pressure, and the temperature of the nonsolvent being 40.degree.-120.degree. C. above the boiling point of the solvent, but does not fall below 100.degree. C. nor range above 180.degree. C. The voluminous, particulate polymer is suitable for the production of damping materials.

Abstract: For the production of acrylonitrile polymers containing phosphonic acid groups and having phosphorus contents of 1-17% by weight, homo- or copolymers of acrylonitrile having molecular weights of 1,000-200,000 are reacted at temperatures of 120.degree.-220.degree. C. with 0.2-8 moles of phosphorous acid per mole of nitrile group. Preferably, a melt is prepared from phosphorous acid, and the acrylonitrile polymer is added thereto in metered quantities.

Abstract: A process for producing a solid, intumescent, phosphorus-containing flame retardant for thermoplastic synthetic resins, comprises evaporating to dryness the reaction product of (a) 1 mole of phosphoric acid, phosphorous acid or polyphosphoric acid, (b) 0.5-2 moles of ethylene oxide or glycol, and (c) 0.2-1 mole of melamine, and tempering the thus-obtained solid at 100.degree.-250.degree. C. The product so obtained can be added to such resins to render them flameproof without deleterious side effects such as discoloration.

Abstract: Addition of 0.2-2 weight % of 2-methyl-2,3-epoxypropanol-(1), and preferably also 0.2-2% of methyl tert-butyl ether, produces highly stabilized 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

Abstract: In a process for the manufacture of a heat-stable, nuclear-brominated polystyrene by brominating, at -20.degree. C. to +40.degree. C., a polystyrene dissolved in a chlorinated hydrocarbon in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst, an improvement is provided wherein the catalyst further comprises 0.02 to 2 moles, per mole of Lewis acid, of a nucleophilic substance which acts as a Lewis base for the Lewis acid.