The B. F. Goodrich Company

Sumitomo Bakelite Company Limited

Lester H McIntosh, Iii

Brian L Goodall

George M Benedikt

Larry Funderburk Rhodes

Dennis A Barnes

Robert A Shick

Saikumar Jayaraman

Rolf M&uuml;lhaupt

Lynn M Soby

Sai Kumar Jayaraman

Polycyclic addition polymers derived from norbornene-type monomers are mixed with a variety of other polymers to generate families of new blends, alloys, and block copolymers.

Blends and alloys of polycyclic polymers

Silyl substituted polymers of polycycloolefins are provided as well as catalyst systems for their preparation. The polymers of the invention include polycyclic repeat units that contain pendant silyl functional groups represented by the following formulae: ##STR1## wherein A is a divalent radical selected from the following structures: ##STR2## R.sup.9 independently represents hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.10, R.sup.11, and R.sup.12 independently represent halogen, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkyl, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkoxy, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkyl carbonyloxy, (C.sub.1 to C.sub.20) alkyl peroxy, and substituted or unsubstituted (C.sub.6 to C.sub.20) aryloxy; R.sup.10, R.sup.11, and R.sup.12 together with the silicon atom to which they are attached form the group: ##STR3## n is a number from 0 to 5; and n' is 0 or 1; and n' is a number from 0 to 10.

Addition polymers of polycycloolefins containing silyl functional groups

Addition polymers derived from norbornene-functional monomers are terminated with an olefinic moiety derived from a chain transfer agent selected from a compound having a terminal olefinic double bond between adjacent carbon atoms, excluding styrenes, vinyl ethers, and conjugated dienes and at least one of said carbon atoms has two hydrogen atoms attached thereto. The addition polymers of this invention are prepared from a single or multicomponent catalyst system including a Group VIII metal ion source. The catalyst systems are unique in that they catalyze the insertion of the chain transfer agent exclusively at a terminal end of the polymer chain.

Addition polymers derived from norbornene-functional monomers and

The invention discloses methods of preparing copolymers from norbornene-type monomers and cationically polymerizable monomers or polymers from catalytically polymerizable monomers by employing Group VIII transition metal ion source in a solvent for said monomers at a temperature in the range from -100.degree. C. to 120.degree. C. Also disclosed are copolymers from norbornene-type monomers and catalytically polymerizable monomers.

Homopolymers and copolymers of cationically polymerizable monomers and

A single component ionic catalyst consists essentially of an organonickel complex cation, and a weakly coordinating neutral counteranion. The cation is a neutral bidentate ligand removably attached to a Group VIII transition metal in an organometal complex. The ligand is easily displaced by a norbornene-type (NB-type) monomer in an insertion reaction which results in an unexpectedly facile addition polymerization. A NB-type monomer includes NB or substituted NB, or a multi-ringed cycloolefin having more than three rings in which one or more of the rings has a structure derived from NB, and a ring may have an alicyclic alkyl, alkylene or alkylidene substituent. The insertion reaction results in the formation of a unique propagating species more soluble in a polar than in a non-polar solvent and devoid of an available .beta.-hydrogen for termination. The ensuing propagation of a polymer chain proceeds without measurable unsaturation. The chain continues to grow until the insertion of a monoolefinic chain transfer reagent results in substantially all chains being terminated with the residue of the chain transfer reagent. This unique chain transfer reaction allows one to control the molecular weight in a relatively narrow range. The reaction mixture for controlling the mol wt of the polymer chains may contain any other catalyst which generates a propagating species by an insertion reaction in an essentially anhydrous solvent. Both, mol wt and glass transition temperature Tg are tailored to provide a weight average mol wt Mw&gt;20,000 but preferably not greater than about 500,000, and a T.sub.g in the range from about 150.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. or higher, if desired.

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Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States of America

Lester H McIntosh, Iii