Plastic optical material and production process thereof

A process for producing a plastic optical material, which comprises the step of polymerizing a monomer mixture composed of a monomer represented by the following formula I:

• PO(OH).sub.n R.sub.3-n I
• wherein R means a polymerizable functional group represented by the following formula
• CH.sub.2 .dbd.CXCOO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.m -- II
• (X denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and m is an integer of 0-5) and n is 1 or 2, and at least one monomer copolymerizable therewith, said mixture providing a copolymer containing a specific phosphate group represented by the formula
• PO(OH).sub.n -- (n being 1 or 2)
• in a proportion of 0.5-60 mass %, in the presence of a neodymium compound in such an amount that a proportion of a neodymium ion to be contained in a copolymer to be formed comes to 0.04-10 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the copolymer.

A plastic optical material comprising 100 parts by mass of an acrylic polymer containing a specific phosphate group represented by the formula

• PO(OH).sub.n -- (n is 1 or 2)
• in a proportion of 0.5-60 mass %, and 0.1-12 parts by mass of a metal ion component composed of manganese ion (Mn.sup.2+) and a neodymium ion (Nd.sup.3+) and comprising the manganese ion in a predominant amount;
• wherein the specific phosphate group contained in the acrylic polymer is chemically bonded to a molecular structure constituting the acrylic polymer;
• and
• the acrylic polymer is a copolymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer mixture composed of a monomer represented by the following formula I:
• PO(OH).sub.n (OH).sub.n R.sub.3-n I
• wherein R means a polymerizable functional group represented by the following formula II:
• CH.sub.2 .dbd.CXCOO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.m -- II
• (X denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and m is an integer of 0-5) and n is 1 or 2, and at least one monomer copolymerizable therewith.

A process for producing a plastic optical material, which comprises the step of polymerizing a monomer mixture composed of a monomer represented by the following formula I:

• PO(OH).sub.n R.sub.3-n I
• wherein R means a polymerizable functional group represented by the following formula II:
• CH.sub.2 .dbd.CXCOO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.m -- II
• (X denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and m is an integer of 0-5) and n is 1 or 2, and at least one monomer copolymerizable therewith, said mixture providing a copolymer containing a specific phosphate group represented by the formula
• PO(OH).sub.n -- (n being 1 or 2)
• in a proportion of 0.5-60 mass %, in the presence of metal compounds in such an amount that a proportion of a metal ion component, which is composed of a manganese ion (Mn.sup.2+) and a neodymium ion (Nd.sup.3+) and comprises the manganese ion in a predominant amount, to be contained in a copolymer to be formed comes to 0.1-12 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the copolymer.