Nippon Zeon Company, Ltd.

Tomoo Sugawara

Motoyuki Yamato

Kin-ichi Okumura

Masao Torii

Shingo Kudo

A halogenated aluminum-based cocatalyst provides a metathesis catalyst system with high activity, moisture insensitivity, and long pot lives. The cocatalyst can be employed in solution or in in-mold bulk polymerization processes.

Metathesis catalyst system

A reaction solution comprising a mixture of tricyclopentadiene, a norbornene monomer with at least 3 rings in its backbone, a 5-alkenyl-2-norbornene pot life adjusting agent along with a molybdenum type catalyst system gives prolonged pot life without extending time to exotherm (e.g., smoking time). By utilizing this reaction solution it is possible to bulk polymerize reinforced or unreinforced articles in a mold via ring-opening polymerization. Articles so obtained have good outward appearance and excellent physical properties.

Method of making ring-opened polynorbornene polymers using pot life

A reinforced polymeric matrix comprising a glass mat and a norbornene polymer surrounding the glass mat, the glass mat is composed of at least one glass fiber treated with a silane coupling agent and a binder adhering the glass fiber(s) to the norbornene polymer; the binder is selected from polyolefins, vinyl aromatic polymers, and ring-opened polymers of at least one norbornene-type monomer containing at least one norbornene group. Process for making a reinforced polymeric matrix comprises positioning a glass mat within a mold, the glass mat having been treated with a hydrocarbon polymer binder; mixing a plurality of streams, one stream containing a catalyst of a metathesis catalyst system, another stream containing a cocatalyst of a metathesis system, and at least one of the streams containing at least one norbornene-type monomer which is liquid at room temperature to form a mixed stream; introducing the mixed stream into the mold around the mat; polymerizing by ring opening the monomer(s) in the mold; and extracting from the mold the reinforced polymeric matrix, wherein the norbornene polymer is thermoset.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Tomoo Sugawara