Abstract: To reduce fouling on reactor surfaces, the surfaces are coated with a protective film of polymeric material of surface energy of less than 15 dynes/cm. The preferred coating materials are polymers of one or more monomer chosen from the 2-(N-alkylperfluorosulphonamido)) alkyl (meth)acrylates or the fluorochemical polymer known as Fluorad (Registered Trade Mark of the 3M company) FC-721.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the post reaction treatment of resins produced by fluidized bed polymerization of alpha olefins wherein an extruder is coupled in communication with the reactor and all necessary devolatilization of monomer, deactivation of catalysts and addition of additives are performed in the extruder.

Abstract: A method for the prevention of fouling of metallic surfaces exposed to reactive alpha-olefin gases during the production of polymeric resins which comprise coating such metallic surfaces with an amino silicone fluid and thereafter curing said coating by hydrolysis to form a continuous solid coating.

Abstract: A slurry mixture comprising a carboxyl containing polymer of vinylidene monomers having at least one terminal methylene group and a polymerizing solvent is effectively dried by way of: passing said mixture through one or a plurality of preheated double pipe heat exchangers in order to produce a two-phase mixture comprising the pulverized polymer and the vaporized solvent; and, then, feeding said two-phase mixture to a rotary vacuum dryer in order to further remove and separate the vaporized solvent from the powdery polymer.

Abstract: This invention is a method and an apparatus for rapidly devolatilizing a product of a polymerization process containing at least one volatile material. The product is initially devolatilized in a high temperature zone, and the foamed devolatilized product is separated into a gas and a liquid polymer phase and rapidly removed therefrom to minimize depolymerization and degradation of the polymer. The partially devolatilized product is further devolatilized by feeding it into a rotatable chamber which is rotated at a sufficient angular velocity to create a high gravitational field to form a vapor and a polymer liquid pool.

Abstract: Acrylic fibers with high physical properties particularly suitable as material for cement reinforcement are provided by spinning a spinning solution of an acrylonitrile polymer at a particular linear velocity ratio of extrusion, thereby forming gel fibers; regulating the internal water content of the gel fibers, subjecting the fibers to dry-heat treatment under tension or dry-heat stretching under a particular temperature condition; and cooling the fibers under tension.

Abstract: A process for producing a thermoplastic ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene composition having excellent moldability, which comprises mixing at room temperature to 100.degree. C. an ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene having an average molecular weight of at least 2,000,000 with an amount, effective for acting as a solvent to said polyethylene and improving the flowability of the polyethylene, of a flowability improver selected from the group consisting of (a) styrene, (b) alpha-methylstyrene, (c) chlorinated styrene and (d) a mixture of (a) and (b), wherein the amount of the flowability improver is 3 to 30 parts by weight for styrene and 3 to 30 parts by weight for alpha-methylstyrene and styrene, per 100 parts by weight of the ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene, and optionally admixing at least one member of the group consisting of a pigment, carbon black, a stabilizer, a lubricant and an inorganic filler.

Abstract: Vinyl aromatic polymers having stereo regular structure of high syndiotacticity are prepared utilizing coordination catalysts in a suspension polymerization process.

Abstract: A process for neutralizing the terminated remnant of an alkali metal anionic polymerization initiator comprising contacting the remnant with an organic acid halide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing addition copolymers of ethylene and cycloolefin monomers of the norbornene-type, such as norbornene and tetracyclododecene. Copolymers having a uniform structure with uniform glass transition temperature values are provided by performing the copolymerization reaction in bulk with a catalyst system soluble in the cycloolefin monomers.

Abstract: A process for producing a styrene resin by continuous bulk polymerization using a polymerization apparatus comprising a circulating line (I) for initial-stage polymerization including at least one tubular reactor having fixedly set therein a plurality of mixing elements having no moving parts and a main-polymerization line (II) following the circulating line (I) and including at least one tubular reactor having fixedly set therein a plurality of mixing elements having no moving parts; characterized in that while a polmerization solution containing a styrene monomer (A), an organic solvent (B) and an organic peroxide (C) whose half life reaches 10 hours at a temperature of 75.degree. to 130.degree. C. is polymerized in the initial stage while it is circulated through the circulating line (I), and at the same time, a minor part or a major part of the initial-stage polymerization solution is introduced continuously into the main-polymerization line (II) and polymerized.

Abstract: A method of carrying out a continuous aqueous emulsion copolymerization using a single continuously stirred tank reactor to reduce the particle size distribution and the presence of over-sized particles comprises, slowly supplying to a reactor the materials used in the copolymerization, including the monomers which are copolymerized, while maintaining conditions causing copolymerization to proceed until the reactor is filled. The supply is continued while maintaining those conditions until the total supply is in the range of from about 1.5 to about 5 reactor volumes. The excess material in the reactor is removed therefrom and collected in one or more separate vessels, and the product of the copolymerization is then combined and mixed to form a uniform product. The composition copolymerized can be changed during the copolymerization. The emulsion copolymer product is particularly useful in latex paints where it improves the gloss and scrub resistance of the paint.

Abstract: Methods of preparing storage stable components useful for metathesis bulk polymerization of cycloolefin monomers are provided. These components contain cycloolefins with norbornene-functional groups and cocatalysts activated with a halometal compound. In these methods, the cocatalyst is completely formed before the halometal activator is added to prevent the formation of unwanted hydrogen halides, which catalyze undesired crosslinking reactions which destabilize the cocatalyst component. Bulk polymerization systems are provided wherein these storage stable cocatalyst components are paired with catalyst components that together form the complete metathesis catalyst system. For some embodiments, storage stability is aided by the removal of water.

Abstract: A polymerization process is provided for producing a terminally functional polymer which comprises introducing a monomer charge, a Lewis acid and an organic peroxy compound into a suitable reaction vessel and polymerizing the monomer charge at a temperature of from about 0.degree. to about -80.degree. C. to form the terminally functional polymer, wherein the monomer charge comprises isobutylene and the organic peroxy compound is charged in an amount of from about 10.sup.-4 to about 10.sup.-1 moles per mole of the isobutylene. In a preferred embodiment, the monomer charge additionally comprises vinylidene aromatic or diolefin monomers. In another preferred embodiment the monomer charge comprises the sequential addition of isobutylene and vinylidene aromatic or diolefin monomers. In a further preferred embodiment said reaction vessel is additionally charged with an electron door having an electron door number of from about 22 to about 50 the amount of said electron door being from about 10.sup.-4 to about 10.

Abstract: Isobutylene homopolymers and copolymers are prepared using a catalyst system comprising a haloadamantane component and a Lewis acid. Branched polymers are prepared using polyhaloadamantanes, the branches being attached to the adamantane at the former location of the halide. The preferred catalyst systems are diethylaluminum chloride and bromoadamantane as well as polybromo, or polychloroadamantanes.

Abstract: Group Transfer Polymerization (GTP) process for preparing a "living" polymer, the process comprising contacting under polymerizing conditions in a polymerization medium, at least one acrylic or maleimide monomer with an initiator which is a tetracoordinate organosilicon, organotin or organogermanium compound having at least one GTP initiating site and a catalyst which is or is a source of an anion selected from the group consisting of bifluoride, fluoride, cyanide, azide or a selected oxyanion, or a selected Lewis acid or Lewis base, the process further characterized in that the initiator or the anion or Lewis acid catalyst is chemically attached (grafted) to a solid support that is insoluble in the polymerization medium.

Abstract: A process for producing a styrene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer continuously by a bulk or solution polymerization technique, wherein the polymerization is carried out continuously by using at least two polymerization vessels arranged in series and equipped with a mixing device while (meth)acrylic acid is continuously fed into each of the polymerization vessels.

Abstract: A process for producing a cycloolefin random copolymer, which comprises(1) copolymerizing (a) ethylene or both ethylene and an alpha-olefin having at least 3 carbon atoms with (b) a cycloolefin such as octahydronaphthalenes and bicyclo[2,2,1]hept-2-ene in the presence of (c) a catalyst formed from a soluble vanadium compound and an organoaluminum compound at least one of which has halogen, in (d) a liquid phase composed of a hydrocarbon medium to form a solution of a cycloolefin random copolymer, and(2) contacting the resulting copolymer solution with (e) an adsorbent containing a metal cation.

Abstract: A process for producing monodispersed fine particles of a vinyl polymer is disclosed, which comprises polymerizing monomers containing at least one vinyl monomer selected from the group consisting of aromatic vinyl compounds, acrylic esters, and a methacrylic ester in the presence of (1) a surface active agent represented by formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which may be the same or different, each represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted cyclohexyl group and M represents an alkali metal, (2) from 10.sup.-3 to 10.sup.-1 mol/l of a persulfate as a polymerization initiator, and (3) from 10.sup.-4 to 10.sup.-2 mol/l of a divalent metal sulfate as an electrolyte. Monodispersed vinyl polymer fine particles having a particle size of 1 .mu.m or greater with a very narrow size distribution are obtained.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for the continuous polymerization of methyl methacrylate with a lesser cost, thermally polymerizable comonomer such as styrene, in the presence of a large quantity of solvent by introducing the monomers into a continuos loop of recycled solvent and removing the polymerized product therefrom. The polymerization is practiced in a plurality of stages, preferably two stages wherein the bulk of the polymerization is performed in the first stage and the final stage is operated to deplete the initiator and any thermally polymerizable comonomer, and polymerization modifiers from the crude polymerizate, thereby forming a crude polymerizate suitable for devolatilization. The crude polymerizate is preheated and devolatilized in a flash zone. Sufficient pressure is maintained on the crude polymerizate in the devolatilizer preheater to avoid the formation of foam encrustations on the heat exchange surfaces of the devolatilizer preheater and on the surfaces of the transfer lines.