Process for producing functional styrene copolymer

Abstract

A process for producing a styrenic copolymer having a functional group and a syndiotactic configuration is provided. The process comprises bringing a metal compound into interaction with a vinyl compound having a functional group to mask the functional group and copolymerizing the vinyl compound having the masked functional group with a styrenic compound in the presence of a polymerization catalyst comprising (A) a transition metal compound, (B) at least one compound selected from compounds having oxygen and compounds which can form ionic complex compounds by reaction with the transition metal compound and (C) an organometallic compound. A styrenic copolymer which is a random, block or graft copolymer, preferably a random copolymer, of a vinyl compound having a functional group and a styrenic compound and has the repeating units derived from the styrenic compound having the syndiotactic configuration can be produced efficiently. The above styrenic random copolymer exhibits excellent physical properties such as excellent adhesion with various adhesives and excellent compatibility with various rubbers and is advantageously used for various applications as various types of molded articles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.