Polymeric epoxides

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING POLY(EPOXIDE)S WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING EPOXIDES, WHEREIN THE EPOXY GROUP IS AN OXIRANE GROUP, BY CONTACTING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID EPOXIDES WITH, AS A CATALYST, A CHELATED ORGANOALUMINUM COMPOUND CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE ALUMINUM-TO-CARBON BOND, FORMED BY CHELATING, UNDER ESSENTIALLY ANHYDROUS CONDITIONS, AN ORGANOALUMINUM COMPOUND WITH A CHELATING AGENT IN AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT THE MOLAR RATIO OF CHELATING AGENT TO ORGANOALUMINUM COMPOUND IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 2, SAID ORGANOALUMINUM COMPOUND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TRIALKYLALUMINUM COMPOUNDS AND DIAKYLALUMINUM HYDRIDES, WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS FROM 1 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS, SAID EPOXIDE BEING FREE OF GROUPS OTHER THAN OXIRANE GROUPS WHICH ARE REACTIVE WITH SAID ORGANOALUMINUM CATALYST, AND SAID CHELATING AGENT IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYKETONES, KETOMONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND ESTERS THEREOF, KETOALDEHYDES, HYDROXYKETONES, HYDROXYALDEHYDES, HYDROXYMONOCARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS, HYDROXYALKYL MONOCARBOXYLATES, DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND ESTERS THEREOF, DIALDEHYDES, ALKOXYMONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS, KETOOXIMES, ALDOOXIMES, HYDROXAMIC ACIDS, DIOXIMES, AMINO ALCOHOLS, AMINO ALCOHOLS, KETOIMIDES, ALDOIMIDES , AND MERCAPTOTHIAZOLES.