Process for the production of alpha-methylstyrene polymer

Claim 2

The process of claim 1 wherein at least 45 percent by weight of the inert organic reaction medium consists of recycled polymerized alpha-methylstyrene solution.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the Friedel-Crafts halide is selected from the group consisting of boron trifluoride, aluminum chloride, ethyl aluminum dichloride, diethyl aluminum chloride and mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

The process for the production of Alpha -methylstyrene polymer which comprises continuously polymerizing alpha-methylstyrene dissolved in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent at a concentration of from about 5 to about 20 weight percent which has been precooled to a temperature between about 0* and about -50* C in the presence of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 percent by weight based on alpha-methylstyrene of a Friedel-Crafts halide selected from the group consisting of boron trifluoride, aluminum chloride, ethyl aluminum dichloride, diethyl aluminum chloride and mixtures thereof, and from about 2 to about 100 ppm of water based on alpha-methylstyrene at atmospheric pressure and adiabatic conditions.

Claim 5

The process for the production of Alpha -methylstyrene polymer which comprises a. cooling a feed stream consisting of a solution of alpha-methylstyrene in a concentration of from about 30 to about 60 weight percent in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and from about 2 to about 100 ppm of water based on the alpha-methylstyrene to a temperature between about 0* and -50* C, b. continuously flowing said feed stream through a mixing jet into a pipeline reactor and polymerizing the alpha-methylstyrene at atmospheric pressure and adiabatic conditions and c. recycling a sufficient amount of the effluent from the pipeline reactor after cooling it to a temperature ranging from about 0* to about -50* C to the mixing chamber such that the alpha-methylstyrene concentration in the mixture entering the pipeline reactor ranges between about 5 and about 20 percent by weight of the total mixture while simultaneously adding a catalyst selected from the group consisting of a boron trifluoride, aluminum chloride, ethyl aluminum dichloride, diethyl aluminum chloride and mixtures thereof to the recycling effluent in an amount of from about 0.05 to about 2.0 percent by weight based on the alpha-methylstyrene in the feed stream.

Claim 6

The process of claim 6 wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene and cumene.

Claim 7

The process of claim 6 wherein the catalyst is boron trifluoride.