Increased throughput in the manufacture of anionic polymers by reduction in polymers by reduction in polymer cement viscosity through the addition of metal alkyls
US6492469B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 26, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 10, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 26, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC08F297/04
- WIPO fieldMacromolecular chemistry, polymers
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention is an improvement upon the known method of anionically polymerizing monomers by contacting the monomers with an anionic polymerization initiator which is an organo-substituted alkali metal compound. The improvement comprises decreasing the viscosity of the polymer cement by adding at least 0.01 equivalent of a metal alkyl compound per equivalent of alkali metal initiator if the metal alkyl is added before or at the beginning of polymerization. If the metal alkyl is added during the polymerization or after but before the living polymer is terminated, then at least 0.01 equivalent of the metal alkyl compound per equivalent of living polymer chain ends is should be used. The alkyl groups of the metal alkyl are chosen such that they do not exchange with the organo substituents of the alkali metal, which can be the living polymer chain ends or the organo substituents of the initiator. To avoid this undesired exchange reaction, the alkyl groups of the metal alkyl compound are selected to be more basic and/or less bulky or both than the organo substituents of the alkali metal compound.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.