Method for preparation of methacrylate and acrylate polymers and copolymers by anionic polymerization

Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to anionic polymerization and copolymerization of methacrylate and acrylate esters and related polar monomers, e.g. acrylonitrile, by initiation with carboxylic acid esters formally substituted in the alpha -position with Li, Na, K, Rb or Cs and containing 3 - 30 C atoms in the straight or branched chain and 1 - 6 ester group in one molecule either alone or in the presence of C3 - C16 alkali metal alkoxide with the straight or branched chain. The polymerization or copolymerization is carried out at -80 DEG to +50 DEG C, advantageously at 20 DEG C and the molar ratios of monomers to alpha -metallo ester 10 to 1500 and alkoxide to alpha -metallo ester 0.5 to 80. Instead of the pure isolated alpha -metallo esters also a reaction mixture may be used which was prepared from the alkaline salt of substituted organic amide and non-metallated ester. Aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, organic ethers or their mixtures were used as solvents for both monomers and initiatora. The method is also suitable for preparation of block copolymers of the aforesaid monomers, if the second or further comonomer is always added after the completed polymerization of the preceding monomer and if the subsequent monomers are used either of the equal anionic polymerizability or in the sequence of their increasing anionic polymerizability.

Inventors

• 👤 Lubomir Lochmann
• 👤 Jiri Trekoval

Bibliographic Details