Polymerization of formaldehyde

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A TOUGH, STABLE, HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMER OF FORMALDEHYDE COMPRISING THE CONSECUTIVE STEPS OF FORMING A LIQUID REACTION MEDIUM BY INTRODUCING MONOMERIC FORMALDEHYDE, CONTAINING LESS THAN 0.1% BY WEIGHT OF WATER, INTO AN ORGANIC LIQUID FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHERS, AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS, ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS, AND CYCLOALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS, MAINTAINING THE SAID REACTION MEDIUM AS A LIQUID AT A TEMPERATURE OF -80*C. TO -15*C. AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE UNTIL 1%-20% BY WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMERIC FORMALDEHYDE HAS POLYMERIZED TO FORM PARTICLES OF SOLID PREPOLYMER, REMOVING SAID PREPOLYMER FROM SAID REACTION MEDIUM, INTRODUCING INTO SAID REACTION MEDIUM, AFTER REMOVAL OF THE SAID PREPOLYMER, 0.00005 TO 0.05 MOL PERCENT, BASED ON SAID MONOMERIC FORMALDEHYDE, OF A POLYMERIZATION INITIATOR FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC AMINES, CYCLOALIPHATIC AMINES, AND PRIMARY AROMATIC AMINES, MAINTAINING THE CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AT -80*C. TO +25*C., AND RECOVERING A TOUGH, STABLE, HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMER OF FORMALDEHYDE.