The British Petroleum Company, P.l.c.

David C Bott

William James Feast

John H Edwards

Lucy M Connors

Donald White

This invention relates to dry processible photo polymers, a method for their production and uses thereof. The photo polymers are produced by selectively irradiating discrete zones of a precursor polymer by UV or visible light followed by thermal oxidation to create polymer films which have modified optical and surface relief properties. Such photo polymers can be used in a number of applications eg wave guiding.

Photo polymers and uses thereof

The present invention relates to coherent poly(acetylene) films and to a method of producing such polyacetylenes. The process comprises solvent casting a solution of a polymer of the general formula (V) derived from a precursor (IV), and transforming the pre-cast, polymer (V) into a poly(acetylene) (III) film and a by-product (VI) at a temperature between 20.degree. and 200.degree. C. at reduced pressure. The poly(acetylene) thus formed has a substantially higher density than the poly(acetylene) polymers produced hitherto. The morphology of the poly(acetylene) produced is that of a thin, coherent solid film with no voids and, no basic structural units are visible even at a magnification of 10,000 times. The polymers also have a lower crystallinity than those produced by conventional methods.

Polyacetylene production

This invention relates to a process for producing an oriented, crystalline poly(acetylene) (III) in film or fibrillar form by solvent casting a film from a solution of a polymer of the general formula (V) derived from a precursor monomer (IV), and transforming the pre-cast film of polymer (V) under tension or in a stress field into the poly(acetylene) (III). The transformation is carried out at a temperature between 20.degree. and 200.degree. C. under reduced pressure over a duration of between 1 and 100 hours in an atmosphere inert to the precursor polymer (V) film and to the poly(acetylene) (III). Poly(acetylenes) are conducting polymers and find use in solid state batteries, field effect transistors and the like.

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Woking, United Kingdom

David C Bott