Polymerization of vinyl ether with magnesium compounds. II. Catalytic reactivity of magnesium compounds other than halides

✍ Scribed by Iwasaki, K. ;Fukutani, H. ;Tsuchida, Y. ;Nakano, S.

• Book ID: 104532478
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1963
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 495 KB
• Volume: 1
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0449-2951
• DOI: 10.1002/pol.1963.100010714

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Magnesium compounds, especially Grignard reagents were studied as catalysts in the polymerization of vinyl ethers. The Grignard reagent and diethyl magnesium possessed no activity for polymerization of vinyl ether. However, if the Grignard reagent is combined with some sort of third substances, it shows good activity. For these substances, oxygen, aldehydes, some metal oxides, and halogenated hydrocarbons seemed to be effective. The molecular weight of the polyvinyl ether obtained from this combined catalyst system is markedly higher than those of polymers obtained with the Friedel‐Crafts type of catalyst, but the polymer of vinyl ether obtained from this mixed catalyst possesses little crystalline structure. The possible mechanism of the polymerization with this mixed catalyst is thought to be a cationic initiation type, because the true active species are regarded to be intermediate compounds which are analogous to magnesium halides or alkoxymagnesium halides. In this connection, alkoxymagnesium halides and magnesium oxide were examined. They had a good activity for polymerization but did not yield a high polymer.