Production of polyisobutylene copolymers
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsRobert N. Webb, Kenneth W. Powers, Michael F. McDonald, Ralph Howard Schatz
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Abstract
The invention relates to a new improved catalyst to produce random copolymers of one or more iso-olefin monomers and one or more para-alkylstyrene monomers. The invention also relates to an improved continuous slurry polymerization process to produce random copolymers using the improved catalyst system. The process is carried out in an anhydrous polymerization system containing a mixture of the monomers in a polar solvent along with a Lewis acid and a stabilizing initiator.
Claims20
A continuous slurry catalyst system comprising:
- (a) a metal halide based on a metal selected from the metals tin, titanium, aluminum, and boron;
- (b) an initiator having the formula:
- wherein:
- R1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or arylalkenyl group containing up to 30 carbon atoms but not less than 3 carbon atoms unless R1 contains at least one olefinic unsaturation,
- R2 and R3 are alkyl, aryl, or arylalkyl groups containing up to 30 carbon atoms and can be the same or different,
- x is a halogen or carboxy, hydroxyl, or alkoxyl group, and
- n is a positive whole number;
- wherein the metal halide and initiator are present in a continuous slurry polymerization system.
A continuous slurry polymerization process for preparing random copolymers of one or more iso-olefin monomers and one or more para-alkylstyrene monomers comprising reacting in an anhydrous polymerization system of said monomers, a polar solvent, a Lewis acid, and an initiator, said initiator having the formula:
- wherein:
- R1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or arylalkenyl group containing up to 30 carbon atoms but not less than 3 carbon atoms unless R1 contains at least one olefinic unsaturation,
- R2 and R3 are alkyl, aryl, or arylalkyl groups containing up to 30 carbon atoms and can be the same or different,
- x is a halogen or a carboxy, hydroxyl, or alkoxyl group, and
- n is a positive whole number.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.