Abstract: A reactive polymeric modifier to improve toughness and/or flexibility of thermosetting resins where the polymer has a comb configuration including a saturated polymeric backbone having reactive groups at each end and at least one pendent chain which is miscible with the thermosetting resin while it is uncured; the backbone being a polymeric chain of carbon-carbon linkages free of olefinic unsaturation, having a glass transition temperature Tg in the range from -100.degree. C. to 25.degree. C.;the reactive groups being reactive with the thermosetting resin, being positioned on both ends of the backbone, and comprising, on average, at least 1.

Abstract: This invention relates to a comb-shaped graft copolymer, to a process for making the comb, and to a polymer blend made with the comb. The comb is made by a free radical polymerization of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer with a macromolecular monomer ("macromer" for brevity) of a haloalkylene oxide ("HAO" for brevity) homopolymer, random or block copolymer. The comb copolymer and blends of the comb with a polymer(s) may be cured. A comb with a terminal acrylyl or methacrylyl group or "head" and pendant polyether chains, which always include some HAO repeating units, may be made in an emulsion or suspension polymerization process which provides a comb having adequately high molecular weight so that the comb may be used in blends. The preferred comb of epichlorohydrin has a (meth)acrylyl head at one end, through which it (the macromer) is polymerizable, and a terminal hydroxyl (OH) group, or an end-capping group derived from the OH group at the other end.

Abstract: This invention relates to a comb-shaped graft copolymer, to a process for making the comb, and to a polymer blend made with the comb. The comb is made by a free radical polymerization of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer with a macromolecular monomer ("macromer" for brevity) of a haloalkylene oxide ("HAO" for brevity) homopolymer, random or block copolymer. The comb copolymer and blends of the comb with a polymer(s) may be cured. A comb with a terminal acrylyl or methacrylyl group or "head" and pendant polyether chains, which always include some HAO repeating units, may be made in an emulsion or suspension polymerization process which provides a comb having adequately high molecular weight so that the comb may be used in blends. The preferred comb of epichlorohydrin has a (meth)acrylyl head at one end, through which it (the macromer) is polymerizable, and a terminal hydroxyl (OH) group, or an end-capping group derived from the OH group at the other end.

Abstract: Blends are formed with numerous commercially available resins and a comb-shaped polymer ("comb" for brevity) of a macromolecular monomer of a polylactone having terminal vinyl unsaturation so long as the polylactone chains are long enough to be compatible with one of the components to be blended. The comb may be formed with any polymerizable olefinically unsaturated monomer, preferably a vinyl, styryl, or acryloyl monomer. The vinyl unsaturation of the "head" of the macromer of polylactone may be acryloyl, styryl or allyl. The comb is made by a low temperature emulsion or suspension polymerization process. The comb, which has a hydrocarbon backbone and pendant polylactone chains, typically has a number average molecular weight of at least 10,000. A blend of first and second resins which are normally incompatible with each other, is also produced using a comb in which the backbone is compatible with one of the resins.

Abstract: A copolymer of an olefinically unsaturated monomer and an allylically headed macromolecular monomer ("macromer") of a ring-openable cyclic ether ("CE") is prepared as a comb-shaped graft copolymer of macromer. A wide variety of olefinically unsaturated monomers may be used to form the copolymer. The macromer, having an allylic group near one end and a hydroxyl group at the other, is first produced by cationic ring-opening polymerization of the CE in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having an allyl double bond. The polymerization to form the graft copolymer proceeds either by free radical polymerization or by metathesis polymerization. The graft copolymer of macromer has a hydrocarbon backbone and pendant chains of polymerized CE, each pendant chain terminating with an OH group.

Abstract: A comb-shaped polymer ("comb" for brevity) of a polymerizable olefinically unsaturated monomer, preferably a vinyl, styryl, or acryloyl monomer, and a macromolecular monomer of a polylactone having an acryloyl or metharcryloyl "head" is effected at low temperature in an emulsion or suspension polymerization process. The processes are capable of producing a comb with a hydrocarbon backbone and pendant polyactone chains, which comb has a number average molecular weight of at least 10,000 without the use of a co-solvent. A comb with such high mol wt is not produced with a conventional solution polymerization process. A compatible blend is produced of a comb having a backbone incompatible with a synthetic resin, on the condition the polyactone chains are long enough to be compatible in the resin. A compatible blend of first and second resins, irrespective of whether they are compatible with each other, is also produced using a comb in which the backbone is compatible with one of the resins.

Abstract: Preparation of a macromolecular monomer of a lactone having an alpha-beta monoolefinically unsaturated "head" is effected at low temperature with a strong oxonium salt, such as a trialkyloxonium (TAO) hexafluorophosphate catalyst, with essentially no formation of cyclic oligomers and an insignificant amount of diacrylate. Cationic ring-opening polymerization of lactone monomer in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having an acryloyl or methacryloyl double bond, produces a polylactone macromer having an ethylenic double bond at one end and a hydroxyl group at the other. The polymerization proceeds by polyaddition of the lactone to the OH group which is the propagating species. The macromer so formed allows the preparation of a macromer of block copolymer of the polylactone with a polyether such as epichlorohydrin, using the same TAO catalyst. In such a macromer of block copolymer, the polylactone ester block is next to the double bond, followed by the polyether block.

Abstract: An antistatic additive for PVC, or other chlorine containing polymers, or polystyrene and/or other styrene containing polymers, including but not limited to polymers of styrene and acrylonitrile, such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) or mixtures thereof and blends of any of these, wherein the antistatic additive includes, at least in part, ethylene oxide and epihalohydrin. The antistatic additive is semicrystalline, and the ethylene oxide component is in a range of from about 60% to 95% by weight, preferably 80% to 95% by weight, and the epihalohydrin component is in a range of from about 5% to about 40% by weight, preferably 5% to 20% by weight. Optionally, up to 25% of the additive can include, as a replacement for epihalohydrin, one or more 1,2-epoxides.

Abstract: Cyclic formals, other than trioxane, form macromers with an olefinically unsaturated alcohol which functions as a propagating species to form a macromer of polyformal having a molecular weight generally less than about 10,000. A cationically ring-openable ether may be used to provide a polyether spacer in the alkenyl alcohol so that the macromer of polyformal formed contains a polyether block. Thus, the polyformal macromer may have a acryloyl, allyl, or styryl head group. Macromers of polyformal block copolymers are formed sequentially by first forming the block of first formal and then without isolating the macromer so formed, sequentially polymerizing a second formal monomer to form the second formal block. A macromer of randon copolymer may be formed with one or more cyclic formals or a cyclic ether. Macromers of random copolymers may also be formed with formaldehyde or trioxane.

Abstract: Preparation of a macromolecular monomer of a lactone allows the preparation of copolymers of lactones with commonly available olefinically unsaturated monomers. There is no known method for the preparation of such copolymers. A cationic ring-opening polymerization of a lactone in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having an acryloyl, allyl or styryl double bond, produces a polylactone macromer having an ethylenic double bond at one end and a hydroxyl group at the other. The polymerization proceeds by polyaddition of the lactone to the OH group which is the propagating species. The polylactone may include a polymeric or non-polymeric spacer. The propagator is a primary or secondary alcohol which, if cyclic may have a single internal double bond in one ring. The catalyst is an oxonium salt, or etherate of boron trifluoride. The macromer may be copolymerized with a wide variety of olefinically unsaturated monomers to form a macromer copolymer with pendant polylactone chains.

Abstract: A cationic ring-opening polymerization of a cyclic ether ("CE") in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having an allyl double bond, produces a polyether macromer having an allylic group near one end and a hydroxyl group at the other. The polymerization proceeds by polyaddition of the CE to the OH group which is the propagating species. The CE is an alkylene oxide or an aliphatic or aromatic glycidyl ether; the propagator is a primary or secondary alcohol which, if cyclic may have a single internal double bond in one ring. The catalyst is a Friedel-Crafts acid, strong protic organic or inorganic acid, oxonium salt, or the like.

Abstract: Thermoplastic and thermoset materials containing an effective amount of an antistatic agent for improving antistatic properties thereof, the antistatic agent is selected from homopolymers and copolymers of an epihalohydrin.

Abstract: A cationic ring-opening polymerization of a cyclic ether ("CE") in conjunction with an unsaturated alcohol (propagator) having a styryl or substituted styryl group, produces a polyether macromer having the styryl group near one end and a hydroxyl group at the other. The polymerization proceeds by polyaddition of the CE to the OH group which is the propagating species. The CE is an alkylene oxide or an aliphatic or aromatic glycidyl ether; the propagator is a primary or secondary alcohol. The catalyst is a Friedel-Crafts acid, strong protic organic or inorganic acid, oxonium salt, or the like. Plural cyclic ethers may be (a) sequentially polymerized to form macromer block copolyethers, or, (b) polymerized randomly to form macromer copolyether copolymers. The cationically ring-opened macromer formed always contains a trace of a cyclic oligomer of the CE.

Abstract: Cyclic oligomers are extracted from liquid polyethers, especially polymers of epihalohydrin, by contacting the polyethers with a hydrocarbon solvent containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms while agitating the polyethers.

Abstract: Water-clear liquid polymers of epihalohydrin are obtained by passing said polymers or their solutions, that are yellow to dark brown, through a column of amorphous silica.