Process for the production of amorphous methyl vinyl ether homopolymers having a high molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution

A process for the production of homopolymers of methyl vinyl ether wherein the polymer product has a weight average molecular weight, MW.sub.w, above 110,000 and up to 200,000, a number average molecular weight, MW.sub.n, of above 60,000 and up to about 100,000, with a molecular weight distribution, MW.sub.w /MW.sub.n, of less than 2.0 by cationic polymerizaiton of methyl vinyl ether monomer in the presence of a cationic polymerization initiator which comprises:

• carrying out the homopolymerization at a temperature of about -20.degree. to 50.degree. C. under the pressure of an added inert gas of about 20 to 100 psi such that the methyl vinyl ether vapor is effectively absorbed into the liquid phase during the polymerization, in the substantial absence of a solvent for methyl vinyl ether other than the minimum amount of solvent for the initiator, which homopolymerization is carried forward to about a 50 to 90% conversion of monomer into homopolymer thereby allowing residual monomer to function as an in situ solvent for the formed homopolymer product which is a viscous, concentrated solution of amorphous methyl vinyl ether homopolymer in substantially residual methyl vinyl ether.