Polymers of di- (and higher functionality) ketene acetals and polyols

Polymers having the repeating mer unit:

• ##STR63## wherein n is an integer substantially greater than 10;
• wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or the same or different essentially hydrocarbon groups and may be separate groups or may form parts of a cyclic group;
• R is a quadrivalent organic grouping;
• R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are hydrogen or the same or different essentially hydrocarbon groups and may be separate groups or may form parts of a cyclic group;
• R.sub.5 is an essentially hydrocarbon group which is the residue of a polyol R.sub.5 (OH).sub.a wherein a is an integer equal to two or more, such polyol being a single molecular species or a mixture of molecular species;
• and wherein such linear chain may be crosslinked with other similar chains.

Polymers having the repeating mer unit ##STR64## wherein n is an integer substantially greater than 10;

• wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are the same or different essentially hydrocarbon groups, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 being separate groups or parts of a cyclic group and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 being separate groups or parts of a cyclic group;
• R.sub.5 is an essentially hydrocarbon group which is the residue of a polyol R.sub.5 (OH).sub.a wherein a is an integer equal to two or more, such polyol being a single molecular species or a mixture of molecular species;
• R.sub.6 is a valence bond or an essentially hydrocarbon group;
• R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 are hydrogen or essentially hydrocarbon groups which may be separate groups or may form parts of a cyclic group;
• and wherein such linear chains may be crosslinked to similar chains.