Production of High Molecular Weight Hydroxyl-Containing Polyethers

摘要

1,167,425. Hydroxy-containing polyethers. HERCULES Inc. 22 Sept., 1967 [26 Sept., 1966], No. 43344/67. Heading C3R. [Also in Division C1] Hydroxy-containing polyethers containing the repeating units where Z is R is -ZOH, R 1 or R 2 ; R 1 and R 2 are H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, haloalkyl or alkoxyalkyl; and n is 1 to 20, are prepared by polymerizing a silicon ester of an epoxy alcohol in the presence of an organometal compound as catalyst and reacting the polymer with a hydrogen-active compound to replace the silicon ester groups by hydroxyl groups. The silicon ester has the formula where R is ZOSiR1R11R111 or any of R 1 and R 2 , and R1 , R11 and R111 are the same as R 1 and R 2 except that they cannot be H. The silicon ester may be copolymerized with another oxirane or an oxetane compound, and many examples are given. The catalyst may be an organo-aluminium compound which has preferably been chelated and/or reacted with water or an organo- zinc or magnesium compound which has been reacted with a polyfunctional compound. Suitable active hydrogen compounds for converting the silicon ester groups to hydroxy groups are water, alcohols and acids. The final products have molecular weights above 50,000 and are insoluble in benzene. They may be amorphous or crystalline. They may be reacted through the hydroxy groups with compounds such as polyisocyanates, polyepoxides and aziridines, polyanhydrides, polyimides and phenol-, urea- or melamine-formaldehyde resins. Carboxy derivatives may also be obtained by reaction with esters of halocarboxylic acids or esters of the type of p-chloromethyl benzoic acid esters or with halonitriles followed by hydrolysis. The polymers may be compounded with stabilizers, plasticizers and with fillers, e.g. silica, asbestos, clay, carbon black and reactive silanes. The examples describe the preparation of polyglycidol and copolymers with ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, epichlorhydrin, butene-2-oxide and trimethylene oxide. Uses.-Flocculating agents, fibres, films, foams, binders, thickeners, protective colloids, oil-well drilling additives, starch modifiers, adhesives, textile sizes, detergent additives, coagulants.