Thermal polymerization of dicyclopentadiene

A dicyclopentadiene resin, said resin being produced according to a thermal polymerization process which comprises:

• (a) placing a starting material in a reaction vessel capable of being sealed and pressurized, the starting material consisting essentially of a dicyclopentadiene concentrate, optionally, a modifier selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, isobutylene, butadiene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 2-methyl-2-butene, isoprene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1-octene, limonene, .alpha.-pinene, .beta.-pinene, styrene, vinyl toluene, .alpha.-methyl styrene, indene and mixtures thereof, and a Bronsted acid selected from the group consisting of hypophosphorous acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrochloric hydroiodic acid, phosphoric acid methane sulfonic acid, and mixtures thereof;
• (b) sealing the starting material within the reaction vessel;
• and
• (c) heating and maintaining the temperature of the starting material for a period of time sufficient to cause the dicyclopentadiene to thermally polymerize to form a reaction product comprising a dicyclopentadiene oligomer resin,
• wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polymeric resin is less than about 1000, the resin has a color ranging from about 3 to about 7 on the Gardner scale, a ring and ball softening point ranging from about 80.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C., a saponification number of essentially 0 and a cloud point of less than about 100.degree. C.

A dicyclopentadiene resin having a cloud point of less than about 100.degree. C., said resin being produced according to a thermal polymerization process which comprises:

• (a) placing a starting material in a reaction vessel capable of being sealed and pressurized, the starting material consisting essentially of:
• (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 a compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, isobutylene, butadiene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 2-methyl-2-butene, isoprene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1-octene, limonene, .alpha.-pinene, .beta.-pinene, styrene, vinyl toluene, .alpha.-methyl styrene, indene and mixtures thereof, and
• (3) from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.6 wt. % of a Bronsted acid selected from the group consisting of hypophosphorous acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydroiodic acid, phosphoric acid methane sulfonic acid, and mixtures thereof;
• (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 resin;
• (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(f) placing the 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;
• and
• (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.,
• 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 resin has a color ranging from about 3 to about 7 on the Gardner scale, a saponification number of essentially 0 and a ring and ball softening point ranging from about 80.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.