Method for the preparation of diorganopolysiloxane end-blocked with silanolic hydroxy groups

摘要

A silanol-terminated diorganopolysiloxane can be reproducibly imparted with a viscosity as desired by the alkali-catalyzed ring-opening or siloxane rearrangement reaction from a cyclic or linear-chain diorganosiloxane oligomer by conducting, instead of exactly controlling the water content in the starting reaction mixture as in the prior art method, the reaction at least in the latter stage thereof under a controlled water-vapor pressure until neutralization of the alkali catalyst after equilibrium of the reaction has been reached according to the discovery that the viscosity or degree of polymerization of the silanol-terminated diorganopolysiloxane is a function of the water-vapor pressure, under which the reaction is brought into equilibrium, at the respective temperature.