GB1029635A - Vinyl fluoride polymers - Google Patents

Abstract

Vinyl fluoride is polymerized or copolymerized using a boron compound as the catalyst of the formula <FORM:1029635/C3/1> in which R1, R11 and R111 are the same or different linear or branched-atom alkyl groups containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl groups and R111 may additionally be a hydrogen or halogen atom or an OR group in which R is an organic radical which may be any of the structures listed for R1 and R11, Y is a molecule of ammonia or of hydroxylamine or of a nitrogen-containing organic base or of hydrazine and n is the co-ordination number of the nitrogen atoms present in Y. The catalyst may be preformed or formed in situ by complexing boron alkyls and their derivatives with the nitrogen containing base. Specified boron alkyl derivatives are trimethyl boron, triethyl boron, tripropyl boron, triisobutyl boron, tricyclohexyl boron, triphenyl boron, tri-paratolyl boron, tribenzylboron, diphenyl borane, diethyl borane, boron dimethyl fluoride, boron di-n-butyl chloride, isobutoxy diphenyl boron and triethyl diborane. Exemplified nitrogen containing bases are: ammonia, hydrazine, hydroxylamine, pyridine, monomethylamine, piperazine, aniline, indole, urea, phenyl hydrazine, ethanolamine, morpholine, ethyleneimine, diphenylamine and benzylamine. Other bases specified are: dimethylamine, mono- and di-ethylamine, p-chloroaniline, toluidine, piperidine, quinuclidine, ethylenediamine, triethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, guanidine and melamine. The polymerization may be effected in bulk or in the presence of a liquid solvent or dispersing agent. A number of solvents are listed of which cyclohexane and methylene chloride are exemplified. Water may also be used, preferably together with a pH buffer and a dispersing and emulsifying agent. A number of monomers that may be copolymerized with vinyl fluoride are listed; those exemplified are ethylene, vinyl chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoropropylene and 3,3,3-trifluoropropylene. Suitable plasticizers include dibutylphthalate, tricresyl-phosphate, g - butyr - rolactone, di-methyl-sulphoxide and acetophenone. The polymers may be formed into films, fibres, laminae and shaped and extruded articles.