Thermal polymerization of dicyclopentadiene

A method for producing a thermally polymerized resin of dicyclopentadiene, wherein the molecular weight distribution of the resin is relatively narrow, the method comprising:

• (a) placing a starting material in a reaction vessel capable of being sealed and pressurized, the starting material including a dicyclopentadiene concentrate, and a Bronsted acid;
• (b) sealing the starting material within the reaction vessel;
• (c) heating and maintaining the temperature of the starting material at an elevated temperature for a period of time, sufficient to cause the dicyclopentadiene to polymerize to form a reaction product including a dicyclopentadiene oligomer;
• and
• (d) recovering the resin from the reaction product,
• wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polymeric resin is less than about 1000, the polydispersity index of the resin is less than about 2.3, the resin has a color in the range of from about 3 and about 7 on the Gardner scale, and the resin has a ring and ball softening point in the range of from about 80.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.

A method for producing thermally polymerized resin of dicyclopentadiene, wherein the molecular weight distribution of the resin is relatively narrow, the method comprising:

• (a) placing a starting material in a reaction vessel capable of being sealed and pressurized, the starting material including:
• (1) from about 60 wt. % to about 99 wt. % of a dicyclopentadiene concentrate, comprising from about 60 to about 100 wt. % dicyclopentadiene,
• (2) from about 0 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of an olefinic compound, and
• (3) from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.6 wt. % of a strong acid;
• (b) sealing the starting material within the reaction vessel;
• (c) raising the temperature of the starting material to a temperature in a range of from about 240.degree. C. to about 320.degree. C. over a period in the range of from about 45 minutes to about 75 minutes;
• (d) maintaining the temperature of the starting material in a range of from about 240.degree. C. to about 320.degree. C. for a period of time in the range of from about 1 hour to about 40 hours, thereby forming a reaction product including a dicyclopentadiene oligomer;
• (e) decreasing the temperature of the reaction product to within a temperature in a range of from about 10.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C. below the temperature to which the starting material was maintained for a period of time;
• (f) placing the reaction product under an inert gas atmosphere;
• (g) transferring the reaction product from the vessel to a steam sparging means;
• (h) sparging the reaction product with steam to a resin softening point in the range of from about 80.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.;
• and
• (i) recovering the dicyclopentadiene resin from the reaction product on completion of step (h),
• wherein the weight average molecular weight of the resin is less than about 1000, the z average molecular weight is less than about 2000, the polydispersity index of the resin is less than about 2.3, the resin has a color in the range of from about 3 and about 7 on the Gardner scale, and the resin has a ring and ball softening point in the range of from about 80.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.