Reactions of unsaturated fatty alcohols. XV. Styrentation of fatty vinyl ether polymers in terpene solvents

Styrenation of fatty vinyl ether polymers in dipentene at 145–165C gives products containing from 20 to 67% styrene by weight but little or no unreacted monomeric styrene remained. After 27 mounths no gelation occurred in these products. Apparently dipentene serves as an effective chain transfer agent during styrenation, keeps the growing polymer chains short, and reduces crosslinking reactions. The amount and type of unsaturation needed in the fatty side chains of the polymer to produce homogeneous products were studied. Ultraviolet and infrared analyses were useful in determining the function of unsaturation in these reactions.