Block or graft copolymers of polyalkylene oxides and vinylaromatic or diene polymers
AssigneeBadische Anilin- & Soda-Fabrik Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsErhard Seiler, Gerhard Fahrbach, Dieter Stein
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Abstract
A process for the manufacture of block or graft copolymers of polyalkylene oxides and vinylaromatic polymers or diene polymers. The block or graft copolymers are manufactured by reacting vinylaromatic polymers or diene polymers bearing methyl methacrylate end groups with polyalkylene oxides bearing alkali metal alcoholate end groups. The block or graft copolymers may be used as antistatic agents for plastics, as coating materials for non-woven webs, as intermediates in the manufacture of polyurethanes and as surfactants, protective colloids or emulsifiers.
Claims11
A process for the manufacture of block copolymers of polyalkylene oxides which comprises:
- 1. forming a polymer block A by homopolymerizing an alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide or block copolymerizing at least one of said alkylene oxides with at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, butadiene and isoprene to form alternating polymeric blocks within said block A using organosodium or organopotassium compounds as initiators in polar organic solvents;
- 2. forming a polymer block B by the steps of
- a. polymerizing at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of butadiene, isoprene and styrene in a non-polar hydrocarbon solvent using an organolithium compound as initiator, wherein less than 60% of the diene units in said polymer block B have a 1,2-vinyl structure, and
- b. adding methyl methacrylate to the living chain ends of the polymer block B in amounts of from 0.5 to 10% by weight of methyl methacrylate based on the weight of block B, whereby short polymethyl methacrylate claims are formed having ester end groups bearing a living CH.sub.2 group;
- and
- 3. forming the final block copolymer by adding polymer block A to polymer block B with the reaction of at least one living alkali metal alcoholate end group of block A with at least one ester group of block B with the elimination of alkali metal methoxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.