Process for the production of polymeric hydrocarbons having reactive silyl end groups

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING POLYMERS HAVING REACTIVE SILYL END GROUPS, WHICH COMPRISES REACTING: A. A POLYMER HAVING AT LEAST ONE METHATHETICAL UNSUBSTITUTED, ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED DOUBLE BOND IN THE POLYMER CHAIN; B. ABOUT 0.001-1.0 MOLE PER MOLE OF SAID POLYMER OF A TETRASUBSTITUTED ORGANIC SILICON COMPOUND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF I. AT LEAST ONE METATHETICALLY REACTIVE ORGANIC GROUP HAVING AT LEAST ONE UNSUBSTITUTED, ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED, NON-CONJUGATED, ACYCLIC DOUBLE BOND, WHICH GROUP IS BONDED TO SILICON VIA A CARBON-SILICON BOND; II. AT LEAST ONE HYDROLYZABLE GROUP BONDED TO A SILICON ATOM VIA A CARBON-SILICON BOND, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HALOGEN, LOWER ALKOXY, LOWER ALKANOYLOXY, CARBOCYCLIC AROYLOXY OF 6-12 CARBON ATOMS AND LOWER KETOXIME, AND III. ANY REMAINING SILICON VALENCES BEARING A CARBON-SILICON BOND; IN THE PRESENCE OF C. A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A CYCLOOLEFIN METATHESIS CATALYST COMPRISING: I. A HALOGENATED COMPOUND OF A METAL IN SUBGROUPS 5-7 OF THE MENDELEYEEV PERIODIC TABLE; AND II. A METAL, METAL ALKYL OR METAL HYDRIDE OF A METAL IN MAIN GROUPS 1-3 OF THE MENDELEYEEV PERIODIC TABLE; IN A REACTION MEDIA SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF CONJUGATED DIOLEFINS, ALKINES, WATER AND H-ACIDIC COMPOUNDS, AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT -50*C TO +80*C. TO FORM A POLYMERIC HYDROCARBON CHAIN HAVING REACTIVE SILYL END GROUPS.