Isocyanate crosslinked polyhydroxylated polyethylene

Claim 1

PROCESS OF CROSSLINKING POLYHYDROXYLATED POLYETHYLENE CONTAINING MORE THAN 2 HYDROXYL GROUPS/MOLECULE, SAID POLYHYDROXYLATED POLYETHYLENE BEING PREPARED BY OXIDIZING POLYETHYLENE UNTIL MORE THAN TWO CARBONYL GROUPS/POLYMER MOLECULE ARE FORMED, SUBJECTING SAID CARBONYL-CONTAINING POLYETHYLENE AT A TEMPERATURE RANGING FROM THE MELTING POINT OF THE POLYETHYLENE UP TO 250*C. TO THE ACTION OF A REDUCING AGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A METAL ALKOXIDE COMPOUND OF THE GENERAL FORMULA M(OR)Y-ZXZ WHEREIN M IS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM AND TITANIUM, OR IS AN ALKOXY GROUP CONTAINING 1 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS, X IS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HALOGEN, HYDROGEN AND AN ALKYL GROUP CONTAINING 1 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS, Y IS EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF M AND Z IS EQUAL TO ZERO TO Y-1, SAID REDUCING AGENT TO CARBONYL IN THE POLYETHYLENE HAVING AN EQUIVALENCY RATIO OF 0.1: TO 100:1, REACTING THE THUS REDUCED POLYETHYLENE WITH WATER TO FORM POLYHYDROXYLATED POLYETHYLENE CONTAINING MORE THAN TWO HYDROXYL GROUPS/MOLECULE OF POLYETHYLENE AND THEREAFTER REACTING SAID POLYHYDROXYLATED POLYETHYLENE WITH AN ORGANIC POLYILSOCYANATE OF THE FORMULA: R(NCO)X WHEREIN R IS A HYDROCARBON GROUP CONTAINING AT LEAST FOUR CARBON ATOMS AND X IS AT LEAST 2, THE AMOUNT OF SAID POLYISOCYANATE REACTED WITH THE POLYHYDROXYLATED POLYETHYLENE BEING AT LEAST THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT NEEDED TO REACT WITH THE HYDROXYL GROUPS PRESENT IN THE POLYHYDROXYLATED POLYETHYLENE.