Abstract: | Bulk butadiene was polymerized by a cationic mechanism in a wide dose rate range. The M?n of the product was about 2300, independent of dose rate. The polymer had 83% residual unsaturation and the remaining double bond was 77% trans and 23% vinyl and had no cis unit. When the polymer yield exceeded 10% gel was formed, but the value of the residual unsaturation in the polymer remained unchanged. This indicated a mechanism that correlated propagation, cyclization, and crosslinking reactions with a cationic intermediate. |