Polyethers from polyacetals and olefins

• Main Author: MERTEN RUDOLF
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.03.1963
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP

Polyethers are prepared by reacting a polyacetal with a compound containing a reactive carbon to carbon double bond in the presence of an acid catalyst. Long lists of suitable starting materials and catalysts are included in the Specification. The reaction mechanism may be illustrated by the following reaction:- <FORM:0866323/IV (a)/1> or, if the acetal group is cyclic, by the following equation:- <FORM:0866323/IV (a)/2> wherein R is an organic radical, R1 is H or an organic radical, m and n are integers. The products may be modified by reaction with organic polyisocyanates to form cellular or homogeneous polyurethane plastics. Suitable polyisocyanates are hexamethylene diisocyanate, diphenyl methane diisocyanate, p-phenylene diisocyanate, 4-41-diphenyl methane diisocyanate, 1, 5-naphthalene diisocyanate and tolylene diisocyanate. The polyethers are suitable for modifying epoxy resins and for incorporation into polyesters by condensing the polyether with an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, such as maleic acid. The polyethers are also suitable for further reaction with melamine and phenol formaldehyde condensation products. Many examples are included in the Specification. The polyacetal may be derived from formaldehyde, acetaldehyde or glyoxal with a polyhydroxy compound, amongst which are included polythioethers with terminal hydroxy groups and saponified polyvinyl acetate.