Process for controlling the molecular weight of polymers of bromostyrene

1. A process to control the molecular weight of styrene polymers in which α-methyl styrene dimer is used as a chain transfer agent, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an essentially solventless blend of:

(i) monomers of styrene;

(ii) a polymerization initiator; and

(iii) α-methyl styrene dimer,

(b) feeding the monomer/polymerization initiator blend into a reaction vessel;

(c) reacting the monomer/polymerization initiator blend under conditions effective to polymerize at least about 80% of the monomers in a time of between about 1 minute and about 20 minutes;

(d) adding bromine to react with the polymerized styrene under conditions effective to brominate the polymerized styrene to form brominated polymerized monomers, the brominated monomers of which having the following general structure

where R is H and x is 3, where the brominated polymerized monomers have an assigned weight average molecular weight (MW) compared with a polystyrene standard as measured by gel permeation chromatography of from about 11,000 to about 60,000; and

(e) removing the brominated polymerized monomers from the reaction vessel.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the bromostyrene polymers retain at least 88% of their mass after 20 minutes and at least 85% of their mass after 30 minutes when a 10 mg specimen is held at 330° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the polymers have an assigned weight average molecular weight compared with a polystyrene standard as measured by gel permeation chromatography of from about 15,000 to about 20,000.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the polymers further comprise units derived from copolymerization with a comonomer selected from the group consisting of glycidyl(meth)acrylate, maleic anhydride, hydroxyethylmethacrylate, acrylic acid, ar-amino substituted styrene, styrene sulfonic acid, salts of styrene sulfonic acid and mixtures thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the polymers further comprise units derived from copolymerization with a comonomer selected from the group consisting of butadiene, acrylonitrile, methyl-(meth)acrylate, divinyl benzene, isoprene, n-butylacrylate, α-methyl styrene, p-methyl styrene and mixtures thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the polymers further comprise α-methyl styrene dimer residues in which the α-methyl styrene dimer residue bears at least one aromatically bound polar compatibilizing group chosen from the group of —NH 2 , —N═C═O, amines, carboxylic acids, salts of carboxylic acids, amides, esters and epoxides.