Process for continuously polymerizing trioxane

Abstract

A process for producing a polyacetal homopolymer or copolymer which comprises continuously feeding a liquid starting mixture containing molten trioxane and a catalyst and optionally a comonomer through a feed opening of a reactor, said reactor being a continuously stirring-type mixer having two stirring shafts having a plurality of plate-like paddles fixed thereto the cross-section of each of said paddles taken perpendicularly of the axial direction of the stirring shaft having a shape of a convex lens, an ellipse or a quasipolygon inscribing a phantom circle at each vertex, one of said paddles facing another paddle fixed to the other stirring shaft and said one paddle being positioned such that it rotates while the edges thereof keep a slight clearance from the inner surface of the barrel and the other paddle; polymerizing the starting mixture while moving it toward the discharge opening by the rotation of the paddles, the improvement wherein the profiles of the paddles are changed, or the arrangement of the paddles is changed continuously or stepwise, so that the transportability of the reaction mixture becomes progressively smaller from the feed opening toward the discharge opening of the reactor.