Polymerization initiating system and method to produce highly reactive olefin functional polymers
AssigneesUniversity of Massachusetts, Infineum International Limited
InventorsRudolf Faust, Jacob Emert
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Abstract
A method for producing highly reactive olefin polymers wherein at least 50 mol. % of the polymer chains have terminal double bonds, and a novel polymerization initiating system for accomplishing same.
Claims32
A process for the preparation of polybutene having an exo-olefin content of at least 50 mol. %, which process comprises contacting isobutene or an isobutene-containing monomer mixture, with a Lewis acid catalyst complexed with an oxygen and/or sulfur-containing Lewis base, in a substantially or completely apolar solvent, and initiating polymerization of said isobutene or an isobutene-containing monomer mixture with an initiator, wherein said Lewis acid catalyst is a Lewis acid of the formula MR″mYn, wherein M is a metal selected from Al, Fe, Ga, Hf, Zr and W;
- R″ is a hydrocarbyl group;
- Y is halogen;
- m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 5;
- and n is an integer of 1 to 6, with the proviso that m+n is equal to the valency of metal M;
- said Lewis base is dihydrocarbyl ether, wherein each ether hydrocarbyl group is independently selected from C1 to C8 hydrocarbyl, wherein one or each of said ether hydrocarbyl groups are substituted, on a carbon atom other than the carbon atom adjacent to the oxygen atom of the ether group, with an electron-withdrawing group;
- the initiator is a compound of the formula RX, wherein X is a halide;
- R is a hydrocarbyl group capable of forming a stable carbocation, and wherein the carbon linking group R to group X is tertiary, benzylic or allylic.
A catalyst-initiator system for catalyzing the polymerization of isobutene or an isobutene-containing monomer mixture in a substantially or completely apolar solvent to provide a polybutene product having an exo-olefin content of at least 50 mol. %, wherein said catalyst comprising a Lewis acid catalyst complexed with a Lewis base, wherein said Lewis acid catalyst is a Lewis acid of the formula MR″mYn, wherein M is a metal selected from Al, Fe, Ga, Hf, Zr and W;
- R″ is a hydrocarbyl group;
- Y is halogen;
- m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 5;
- and n is an integer of 1 to 6, with the proviso that m+n is equal to the valency of metal M;
- said Lewis base is dihydrocarbyl ether, wherein each ether hydrocarbyl group is independently selected from C1 to C8 hydrocarbyl, wherein one or each of said ether hydrocarbyl groups are substituted, on a carbon atom other than the carbon atom adjacent to the oxygen atom of the ether group, with an electron-withdrawing group;
- and the polymerization is initiated via an initiator of the formula RX, wherein X is a halide;
- R is a hydrocarbyl group capable of forming a stable carbocation, and wherein the carbon linking group R to group X is tertiary, benzylic or allylic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.