Thermoset resins

Claim 2

Thermoset resin obtainable by curing a thermoplas­tic polymer, characterised in that the resin is obtain­able by reacting a curing agent with a linear alternat­ing copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more ole­finically unsaturated compounds, or with a curable functional derivative thereof.

Claim 3

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 1, charac­terised in that the weight average molecular weight of the thermoplastic polymer from which the resin is obtainable, is in the range of 200 to 20,000 daltons.

Claim 4

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the one or more olefinically unsaturated compounds, being monomers of the thermo­plastic polymer from which the resin is obtainable, are selected from alkenes, cycloalkenes, arylalkenes, alkadienes and oxycarbonylalkenes, having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 5

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 3, charac­terised in that the one or more olefinically unsaturat­ed compounds, being monomers of the thermoplastic polymer from which the resin is obtainable, comprise at least ethene.

Claim 6

A thermoset resin as claimed in any of claims 1-4, characterised in that the thermoplastic polymer from which the resin is obtainable, is a linear alternating copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more olefinic­ally unsaturated compounds.

Claim 7

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 5, charac­terised in that the thermoplastic polymer from which the resin is obtainable, is a linear alternating carbon monoxide/alkylene oligomer having a weight average molecular weight of from 500 to 1,800, represented by the formula A˝[C(=O)A′] n C(=O)A˝, wherein each A˝ independently is an alkyl group of 2 up to 8 carbon atoms, or an alkoxy group of 1 up to 8 carbon atoms, each A′ independently is an alkylene group of 2 up to 8 carbon atoms, and n is such that the weight average molecular weight is as defined.

Claim 8

A thermoset resin as claimed in any of claims 1-4, characterised in that the thermoplastic polymer from which the resin is obtainable, is a curable functional derivative of a linear alternating copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more olefinically unsaturated compounds, comprising any derivative of a ketone car­bonyl group which contains a function capable of react­ing with a curing agent.

Claim 9

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 7, charac­terised in that the curable functional derivative of the copolymer is selected from the group comprising polybisphenols, acrylonitrile derivatives, polyamino­acids, Mannich addition products, polythiols, dithio­cyclic group substituted polyketones, hemimercaptals, polyamides, polyamines, furan derivatives, polycyano­hydrins, polyoxims, polyphosphonates, polyvinylketones, polyhydroxymethylketones, polyaminoalcohols, polyketone ketals and hemiketals, polyepoxide derivatives, poly­hydroxysulphonate adducts, polyhydroxyphosphonate adducts, polydihalo derivatives, polyhaloketone deriva­tives, polyhydrazone derivatives and polyalcohols.

Claim 10

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 8, charac­terised in that the curable functional derivative of the copolymer is a polyalcohol.

Claim 11

A thermoset resin as claimed in claim 9 and in any of claims 2-4, characterised in that the polyalcohol has a weight average molecular weight of from 450 to 3,500.

Claim 12

Process for the preparation of a thermoset resin as claimed in any of claims 1-10, characterised in that a curing agent is reacted with a linear alternating copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more olefinic­ally unsaturated compounds, or with a curable function­al derivative thereof.

Claim 13

Thermosetting composition comprising a curing agent and a thermoplastic polymer, characterised in that it comprises as the thermoplastic polymer a linear alternating copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more olefinically unsaturated compounds, or a curable functional derivative thereof.

Claim 14

Thermosetting composition comprising a curing agent and a thermoplastic polymer, characterised in that it comprises as the thermoplastic polymer a linear alternating copolymer of carbon monoxide and one or more olefinically unsaturated compounds, or a curable functional derivative thereof.

Claim 15

A thermosetting composition as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that it comprises a curing agent selected from di- and polyaldehydes, di- and polyam­ines, ammonia, ammonium salts, di- and polyacids, di-­and polyepoxides, di- and polyisocyanates, anhydrides, aminoplast resins, and adducts and precursors of these compounds.

Claim 16

A thermosetting composition as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterised in that it comprises more than 3 %wt of curing agent based on the weight of the thermo­plastic polymer.

Claim 17

A thermosetting composition as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that it comprises from 7 to 120 %wt of curing agent.

Claim 18

A thermosetting composition as claimed in any of claims 12-15, characterised in that it comprises as the said thermoplastic polymer a linear alternating carbon monoxide/alkylene polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from 500 to 1,800, represented by the formula A˝[C(=O)A′] n C(=O)A˝, wherein each A˝ independently is an alkyl group of 2 up to 8 carbon atoms, or an alkoxy group of 1 up to 8 carbon atoms, each A′ independently is an alkylene group of 2 up to 8 carbon atoms, and n is such that the weight average molecular weight is as defined.

Claim 19

A thermosetting composition as claimed in claim 16, characterised in that it comprises as the curing agent from 0.1 to 10 mol per mol polymer of a primary di- or polyphosphine, a primary di- or polyamine, an adduct or precursor of an aforementioned compound, a compound having in combination any of the aforemen­tioned functional groups, ammonia, or an ammonium salt.

Claim 20

A thermosetting composition as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the curing agent is a primary di- or polyamine, or a carbamate adduct or metal com­plex thereof.

Claim 21

A thermosetting composition as claimed in claim 18, characterised in that the curing agent is diethylenetriamine.

Claim 22

A thermosetting composition as claimed in any of claims 12-15, characterised in that it comprises as the said thermoplastic polymer a polyalcohol having at least two hydroxyl groups and a weight average molecu­lar weight of from 200 to 10,000, which is obtainable by hydrogenation of a linear alternating copolymer having the repeating structure ⁅A′-C(=O)⁆ in which A′ is a unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated compound A.

Claim 23

Process for coating or bonding an article by applying a quantity of thermosetting resin thereto, characterised in that a thermosetting composition as claimed in any of claims 12-20 is applied.

Claim 24

Article of manufacture, characterised in that it consists at least in part of a thermoset resin as claimed in claim 1.