Continuous production of expanded styrene polymers

    公开(公告)号:GB1092606A

    公开(公告)日:1967-11-29

    申请号:GB1125665

    申请日:1965-03-17

    Applicant: BASF AG

    Abstract: Expanded styrene polymers are produced by mixing styrene, or a mixture of at least 80% by weight of styrene with at least one other anionically polymerizable unsaturated monomeric compound, with an organo-alkali metal catalyst and such an amount of dimethyl ether and/or tetrahydrofuran and/or dioxane, in the absence of water and oxygen, that the heat of polymerization liberated during the polymerization of the monomers is sufficient to heat the polymer to a temperature above its softening point and to evaporate the ether, and the polymer obtained is then homogeneously mixed with 2 to 15% by weight of an easily volatile organic halogen compound or a mixture of an easily volatile aliphatic hydrocarbon and a small amount of a compound which will deactivate the organo-alkali metal catalyst, at temperatures above the softening point of the polymer, and the pressure is released. Suitable catalysts are naphthalene sodium, phenyl sodium and butyl lithium, and suitable expanding agents are methyl chloride, propane and butane, the hydrocarbons being used in conjunction with, e.g. oxalic acid or ethylene glycol. Other monomers suitable for copolymerization with the styrene are vinyltoluenes, 1,3-butadiene and isoprene.

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