Embodiments include degradable polyethers comprising ester units from a cyclic ester or carbonate units from carbon dioxide incorporated into a poly(ethylene oxide) backbone or a multifunctional core of a degradable polyether star. Embodiments include methods of forming a degradable polyether comprising contacting an ethylene oxide monomer with a lactide monomer or carbon dioxide in the presence of an alkyl borane and an initiator. Embodiments include methods of forming degradable polyether stars comprising contacting a diepoxide monomer with carbon dioxide and/or a cyclic ester in the presence of an initiator and a first amount of an alkyl borane to form a multifunctional core comprising degradable carbonate linkages and/or degradable ester linkages, and contacting the multifunctional core with an ethylene oxide monomer in the presence of a second amount of an alkyl borane to form arms of a polyether attached to the degradable multifunctional core.

New polymer compositions based on poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) and other high-softening-temperature polymers are disclosed. These materials have a microphase domain structure that has an ionically-conductive phase and a phase with good mechanical strength and a high softening temperature. In some arrangements, the structural block has a softening temperature of about 210° C. These materials can be made with either homopolymers or with block copolymers. When these polymers are combined with electrolyte salts, they can be used as electrolytes that have both high ionic conductivity and good mechanical properties.

Provided is (1) a radically polymerizable polyether which imparts excellent mechanical properties including excellent transparency, a high degree of elongation at break and high bending strength to a copolymer produced by the radical polymerization of a radically polymerizable monomer, and a method for producing the radically polymerizable polyether; (2) a polymerizable composition comprising the radically polymerizable polyether and a radically polymerizable vinyl monomer, which enables the formation of a copolymer having excellent mechanical properties; and (3) a copolymer, a molded article and a film, each of which comprises the copolymer.

The invention relates to a method for producing polyether carbonate polyols, comprising the step of reacting alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of an h-functional starter compound and double metal cyanide catalyst. The invention is characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: (α) optionally, pre-treating the double metal cyanide catalyst (DMC catalyst) at a temperature of 50 to 200° C. and/or reduced pressure (absolute) of 10 mbar to 800 mbar; (β) bringing the double metal cyanide catalyst in contact with suspension means, and furthermore, with alkylene oxide in the first reactor thus obtaining a first reaction mixture, and (γ) continuous added dosing of the first reaction mixture, alkaline oxide, and carbon oxide, and optionally, h-functional starter compound in a second reactor, wherein in at least one of the steps (β) or (γ), at least one h-functional starter compound is used, and wherein reaction products formed in step (γ) are continuously removed from the second reactor.

The present disclosure provides a Lewis acid-base pair catalytic initiator and an application thereof. The Lewis acid-base pair catalytic initiator includes a Lewis acid and a Lewis base, the Lewis acid having a structural general formula as shown in formula (I) and the Lewis base having a structural general formula as shown in formula (II); wherein: the A is selected from element Baron or element Aluminum; the R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 are independently selected from alkyl, alkoxy, aryl or halogen groups; the alkyl or alkoxy have a carbon number being equal to or greater than 1 to equal to or less than 16; the aryl contains substituents with the number being equal to or less than 5, the substituents being selected from methyl, methoxy or halogen; n is selected from an integer from 1 to 16.

Catalyst complexes include a zinc hexacyanocobaltate with M.sup.5 metal and M.sup.6 metal or semi-metal phases, wherein M.sup.5 metal is gallium, hafnium, manganese, titanium and/or indium and the M.sup.6 metal or semi-metal is one or more of aluminum, magnesium, manganese, scandium, molybdenum, cobalt, tungsten, iron, vanadium, tin, titanium, silicon and zinc and is different from the M.sup.5 metal. The catalysts are highly efficient propylene oxide polymerization catalysts characterized by rapid activation, short times to the onset of rapid polymerization and high polymerization rates once rapid polymerization has begun.

A process for producing a polyol block copolymer in a multiple reactor system including a first and second reactor in which a first reaction takes place in the first reactor and a second reaction takes place in the second reactor. The first reaction is the reaction of a carbonate catalyst with CO.sub.2 and epoxide, in the presence of starter and/or solvent to produce polycarbonate polyol copolymer and the second reaction is the reaction of DMC catalyst with the polycarbonate polyol compound of the first reaction and epoxide to produce polyol block copolymer. The product of the first reaction is fed into the second as crude reaction mixture, the epoxide and the polycarbonate polyol compound of the first reaction are fed in a continuous or semi-batch manner, and/or the product of the first reaction has neutral or alkaline pH on addition to the second. The invention further relates to the copolymers and products incorporating such copolymers.

A polyol block copolymer comprising a polycarbonate block, A (-A′-Z′—Z—(Z′-A′).sub.n-), and polyethercarbonate blocks, B. The polyol block copolymer has the polyblock structure:

B-A′-Z′—Z—(Z′-A′-B).sub.n

wherein n=t−1 and wherein t=the number of terminal OH group residues on the block A; and wherein each A′ is independently a polycarbonate chain having at least 70% carbonate linkages, and wherein each B is independently a polyethercarbonate chain having 50-99% ether linkages and at least 1% carbonate linkages; and wherein Z′—Z—(Z′).sub.n is a starter residue. A process of producing a polyol block copolymer from a two step process carried out in two reactors, and products and compositions incorporating such copolymers.

The present technology relates to a polymer comprising at least one ester repeating unit and one ether repeating unit for use in an electrochemical cell, particularly in electrochemical accumulators such as lithium batteries, sodium batteries, potassium batteries and lithium-ion batteries. More specifically, the use of this polymer as a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE), as a matrix for forming gel electrolytes, or as a binder in an electrode material are also contemplated.

Disclosed is a hydrophobically-modified associative thickener polymer prepared from a reaction mixture comprising a) a polytetrahydrofuran having a formula (I):

##STR00001##

b) at least one active hydrogen-containing compound; c) a gem-polyhalide with an alkali hydroxide; or d) a polyglycidyl ether with an alkali hydroxide; e) optionally, a hydrophobe-containing compound, wherein m is an integer in a range from 2 to 750; also disclosed are the aqueous protective coating compositions; further disclosed is a process to prepare a hydrophobically-modified associative thickener polymer.