| Abstract: | In the solution polymerization of trioxane catalyzed by BF3 · O(C2H5)2 at 30°C. the amount of the methanol-insoluble polyoxymethylene is less than the amount of monomer consumed. This difference was much larger than the amount of formaldehyde determined in the polymerized system and could not also be explained in terms of the amount of the methanol-soluble oligomer. Tetraoxane was detected in large quantities by gas chromatography in the polymerized solution of trioxane. Therefore, the difference between the amounts of the methanol-insoluble polymer and the monomer consumed was ascribed partly to the formation of tetraoxane. In spite of the fact that tetraoxane was polymerized more easily than trioxane by BF3 · O(C2H5)2, an almost constant amount of tetraoxane was produced, independent of the kind of solvent and the polymer yield. This suggests the existence of an equilibrium concentration of tetraoxane. On the other hand, the formation of trioxane was observed in the solution polymerization of tetraoxane by BF3 · O(C2H5)2. This suggests that the formation of tetraoxane during the trioxane polymerization is due to a back-biting reaction in which the growing chain end of trioxane attacks the oxygen atom in its own chain with depolymerization of tetraoxane. |
