Claims
- 1. A process for preparing a liquid or solid copolymer whose backbone consists essentially of alternating ring opened units of
- A. an aziridine of the formula ##EQU7##
- wherein 1. R is an inert organic group;
- 2. R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are hydrogen, alkyl aryl or aralkyl groups, at least two of them being hydrogen; and
- B. a vicinal epoxide of the formula ##EQU8##
- wherein 1. X is oxygen
- 2. R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 are hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkenyloxyalkyl, or R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 join to form a five or six membered cycloalkyl group, at least two of them being hydrogen;
- said copolymer being water insoluble when R is a hydrocarbon radical of at least six carbon atoms, X is oxygen and R.sub.1 -R.sub.8 are each hydrogen:
- said process comprising reacting by contacting (A) with (B) in liquid phase at a temperature of at least about 130.degree.C;
- provided that when R is a hydrocarbon group of at least six carbon atoms, and R.sub.1 -R.sub.8 are each hydrogen, the process comprises the additional step of recovering a water-insoluble copolymer.
- 2. The process defined by claim 1 wherein R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each hydrogen.
- 3. The process defined by claim 1 wherein R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 are each hydrogen.
- 4. The process defined by claim 1 wherein R has one to 25 carbon atoms and is an alkyl; aryl; cyano-, halo- or nitro-substituted aryl; alkenyl; aralkyl; alkaryl; cyanoalkyl; cycloalkyl; a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic alkyl group wherein the hetero atom is oxygen, sulfur, or a tertiary nitrogen; an acyl group having the formula --C(O)--E, wherein E is alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl or alkoxy; alkoxyalkyl; or an aroxyalkyl group, or any of the above inert hydrocarbon groups joined to another such group through a carboxylate linkage.
- 5. The process defined in claim 4 wherein R has from one to 10 carbon atoms, R.sub.1 -R.sub.4 and R.sub.6 -R.sub.8 are each hydrogen, and R.sub.5 is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group having one to 20 carbon atoms.
- 6. The process defined in claim 5 wherein R is alkyl, alkenyl, aralkyl, cyanoalkyl, heterocyclic alkyl wherein the hetero atom is oxygen or tertiary nitrogen, or a group of the formula --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --O--C(O)--CH=CH.sub.2 or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --O--C(O)--C(CH.sub.3)=CH.sub.2.
- 7. The process defined in claim 2 wherein R.sub.2 -R.sub.4 and R.sub.6 -R.sub.8 are each hydrogen and R.sub.5 is hydrogen methyl or ethyl.
- 8. The process defined by claim 7 wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen and R is ethyl, cyanoethyl, or phenethyl.
- 9. The process defined by claim 1 which additionally includes water as a coreactant; said water being present in the process in amounts of from trace amounts to 35 mole percent, based on the moles of (A) or (B), whichever is the lesser and is consumed during the course of the reaction.
- 10. The process defined in claim 9 wherein the molar ratio of (A) to (B) is between about 20:1 and about 1:20 and wherein the reaction temperature is between about 25.degree.C and about 300.degree.C.
- 11. The process defined by claim 10 wherein the molar ratio of (A) to (B) is between about 4:1 and about 1:4 and wherein the reaction temperature is between about 100.degree.C and 200.degree.C.
- 12. The process defined by claim 11 wherein R.sub.1 -R.sub.4 and R.sub.6 -R.sub.8 are each hydrogen; R.sub.5 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; and R is ethyl, cyanoethyl or phenethyl.
- 13. The process defined by claim 12 wherein R.sub.5 is methyl and R is ethyl.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 846,263 filed July 30, 1969, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
846263 |
Jul 1969 |
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