Unitika Ltd.

Nippon Steel Corporation

Nippon Steel Chemical Co., Ltd.

Keizo Kyuda

Masao Kimura

Hiroshi Ohishi

Takumi Tanaka

Koichi Fujishiro

Masanao Kawabe

Kazushige Kojima

Souichiro Kishimoto

Shinji Inaba

Takaaki Matsuo

Akio Motoyama

Mitsunobu Satoh

Takamasa Owaki

A process is disclosed for preparing of aromatic polyester-polystyrene block copolymers which comprises subjecting preferentially styrene polymers (A) having terminal functional groups reactive with acid chloride groups and an excess of aromatic dicarboxylic acid dihalides (C) to condensation and then subjecting continuously the resultant mixture and aromatic dihydroxy compounds (B) to interfacial polymerization at the ratio (A)/[(B)+(C)] by weight of 5/95 to 80/20, without separating reaction products of styrene polymers (A) and aromatic dicarboxylic acid dihalides (C), and the block copolymers thus prepared contain a small amount of uncopolymerized styrene polymers, have long aromatic polyester segments, show low birefringence, good transparency, exceptionally low birefringence, low melt viscosity, and good mechanical strength, and are particularly useful as materials for optical instruments.

Process for preparing aromatic polyester-polystyrene block copolymers

A process for forming an ultra-high molecular weight nylon 6 by polymerizing .epsilon.-caprolactam, which comprises heating substantially anhydrous .epsilon.-caprolactam at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 200.degree. C. in the presence of (a) a main catalyst selected from a Grignard compound and a halogenated magnesium lactamate, (b) a co-catalyst selected from an acyl lactam compound and an isocyanic acid ester and (c) at least one activator selected from the group consisting of amides, sulfoxides, thioethers and phosphoric esters. According to this inventive process, an ultra-high molecular weight nylon 6 can be produced within a short period of time, making use of industrially advantageous compounds which are stable in air, hardly dangerous and inexpensive. Being free from cross-linkings, the ultra-high molecular weight nylon 6 obtained by the process of this invention is soluble in various solvents and is useful as a starting material for the production of high strength and high modulus materials.

Anhydrous polymerization of caprolactam with catalyst, cocatalyst and

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Uji, Japan

Keizo Kyuda