Abstract: A method of shaping an organic polymer insoluble in a polar solvent comprising reacting an insoluble organic polymer containing at least one Lewis acid electron attracting group or Lewis basic electron donating group with a sufficient amount of a lower alkylene oxide to alkoxylate the Lewis group and form an alkoxylated product soluble or easily dispersible in a polar solvent, dissolving or dispersing the alkoxylated product in a polar solvent, shaping the alkoxylated product into the desired form by applying the solution or dispersion to a support and removing the polar solvent, and hydrolyzing the alkoxylated product to obtain the original polymer in the desired form. Products made by the process include self-supporting polymeric films and porous diaphragms for electrolytic cells made by impregnating suitable porous supports with the alkoxylated product.

Abstract: A method of shaping an organic polymer insoluble in a polar solvent comprises reacting an insoluble organic polymer containing at least one Lewis acidic electron attracting group or Lewis basic group with a sufficient amount of a lower alkylene oxide to alkoxylate the Lewis group and form an alkoxylated product soluble or easily dispersible in a polar solvent, dissolving or dispersing the alkoxylated product in a polar solvent, shaping the alkoxylated product into the desired form by applying the solution or dispersion to a support and removing the polar solvent, and hydrolyzing the alkoxylated product to obtain the original polymer in the desired form. Products made by this process include self-supporting polymeric films and porous diaphragms for electrolytic cells made by impregnating suitable porous supports with the alkoxylated product.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon polymer, such as high density polyethylene, is rendered photodegradable through the introduction into the polymer chain of photosensitive >C= O groups by reacting the polymer with a compound such as NOCl in the heterogeneous phase in an acid environment so that - NO groups are introduced into the polymer chain which are converted into >N--OH groups and then subjecting the resultant polymer to hydrolysis so that the >N--OH groups are converted into photosensitive >C = O groups.