Process for preparing linear monofunctional and telechelic difunctional polymers and compositions obtained thereby

A process for the preparation of a linear telechelic difunctional unsaturated polymer having at least one internal carbon-to-carbon double bond and containing terminal functional reactive groups other than vinyl groups, from olefinic compound reactants in a process comprising:

• (i) reaction (A) comprising an olefin methathesis reaction of acyclic linear olefinic compound reactants comprising at least one of said acyclic olefinic compounds containing up to 30 carbon atoms and containing at least one functional reactive group selected from reactive moieties consisting of a nitrile, ester, acyl halide, ketone, aldehyde, borane, amide, acid anhydride, ether, imide, and halogen atom moieties, and a substituted aryl group containing up to an additional 30 carbon atoms, the substituents of said substituted aryl group comprising at least one reactive substituent of said functional reactive group of moieties, and combinations of said reactive moieties, to prepare a linear functional olefinic compound product having at least one functional terminal reactive moiety, and an olefinic compound co-product of lower molecular weight than said one of acyclic linear olefinic compound reactants, and to
• (ii) reaction (B) comprising a ring-opening polymerization of a cyclic olefin in the presence of a linear functional olefinic compound having at least one functional terminal reactive moiety consisting of the linear functional olefinic compound product or reaction (A), prepare a polymer comprising a linear telechelic difunctional unsaturated polymer, and,
• wherein said reactions (A) and (B) are metathesis reactions in the presence of a catalyst composition comprising a metathesis catalyst (a) comprising a transition metal compound selected from the group consisting of halides, oxyhalides, oxides and organic ammonium salts;
• an activator (b) selected from the group consisting of organic tin compounds, alkylaluminum halides, alkoxyakylaluminum halides and aryloxy-alkylaluminum halides, and an organic Lewis base (c), said metathesis catalyst (a) is present in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 50 millimoles per mole of said reactants, activator (b) is present in a molar ratio to metathesis catalyst (a) of from about 0.001:1 to about 200:1, and organic Lewis base (c) is present in a molar ratio to metathesis catalyst (a) of from about 0.1:1 to about 10,000:1, said reactions (A) and (B) conducted at a reaction temperature of from about 0.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. and conducted at a reaction pressure of from about 1.times.10.sup.-6 mm Hg to about 30 atmospheres.