The present invention discloses a Double Metal Cyanide (DMC) catalyst(s) useful for the production of polyether polyols (PEPO) and a less energy intensive room temperature method for the synthesis thereof. The catalyst(s) comprises of a DMC complex, an organic complexing agent, i.e., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and other co-complexing organic agents, e.g., t-BuOH, PEPO of composition ranging from about 1 to 10 wt %, wherein the average molecular weight of PEPO used ranged from 200 to 1000. A method of preparing a series of DMC catalyst(s) at room temperature with varying compositional ratios of the complexing and co-complexing agents targeting a wide range of PEPO of varying kinematic viscosity range is also disclosed. These DMC catalyst(s) are amorphous, highly active, and easily separable from product PEPO with recyclability/recoverability, making the product PEPO better industrially applicable and DMC catalyst more cost-effective.

A method of producing an alcohol ethoxylate surfactant or lubricant, the method including reacting a low molecular weight initiator with ethylene oxide in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, the low molecular weight initiator having a nominal hydroxyl functionality at least 1, and the polymerization catalyst being a Lewis acid catalyst having the general formula M(R.sup.1).sub.I(R.sup.2).sub.I(R.sup.3).sub.I(R.sup.4).sub.0 or 1, whereas M is boron, aluminum, indium, bismuth or erbium, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are each independent, R.sup.1 includes a first fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group, R.sup.2 includes a second fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group or a first fluoro/chloro-substituted phenyl group, R.sup.3 includes a third fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group or a second fluoro/chloro-substituted phenyl group, and optional R.sup.4 includes a functional group or functional polymer group, R.sup.1 being different from at least one of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3. The method further including forming an alcohol ethoxylate surfactant or lubricant having a number average molecular weight of greater than the number average molecular weight of the low molecular weight initiator in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst.

A method of producing a polyether polyol includes reacting a low molecular weight initiator with one or more monomers in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, and the low molecular weight initiator has a nominal hydroxyl functionality of at least 2. The one or more monomers includes at least one selected from propylene oxide and butylene oxide. The polymerization catalyst is a Lewis acid catalyst having the general formula M(R.sup.1)1(R.sup.2)1(R.sup.3)1(R.sup.4)0 or 1, whereas M is boron, aluminum, indium, bismuth or erbium, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are each independent, R.sup.1 includes a fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group, R.sup.2 incudes a fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group or a fluoro/chloro-substituted phenyl group, R.sup.3 includes a fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group or a fluoro/chloro-substituted phenyl group, and optional R.sup.4 includes a functional group or functional polymer group, R.sup.1 being different from at least one of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3.

Poly(cyclic acetal)s, methods of making same, and uses of same. The poly(cyclic acetal)s may have a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10 to 3000 kiloDaltons (kDa) and over 50% of the chain ends may exclude hydroxyl groups. The poly(cyclic acetal) may be a homopolymer or copolymer(s) of poly(1,3-dioxolane) (PDXL). The poly(cyclic acetal)s may have one or more or all of: a thermal stability (Td,5%) of 337? C. to 392? C.; a thermal stability of (Td.50%) of 377? C. to 462? C.; or an Arrhenius activation energy (Ea) of 85.0 kJ/mol with 2 mol % of strong acid (e.g., pKa less than or equal to 4). Methods of polymerizing poly(cyclic acetal)s may comprise reacting cyclic acetal monomers with either Lewis acid catalysts and haloalkyl ether initiators or organic cation salt catalyst(s) and proton traps. Methods of chemically recycling poly(cyclic acetal)s into cyclic acetals may react poly(cyclic acetal)s with strong acids.

Polyoxymethylene, where a ratio of a low molecular weight component having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less in a molecular weight distribution is 7.0% or less of the total, and the molecular weight distribution is obtained by measurement by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a standard substance.

A resin composition is provided, which includes 1 part by weight of (a) thermally conductive resin with a biphenyl group, 1.0 to 10.0 parts by weight of (b) polyphenylene oxide, 0.01 to 5.0 parts by weight of (c) hardener, and 0.1 to 5.0 parts by weight of (d) inorganic filler. (d) Inorganic filler is boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, carbon nitride, octahedral carbon, or a combination thereof with a surface modified by iron-containing oxide. (d) Inorganic filler is sheet-shaped or needle-shaped.

Disclosed in the present invention are an oxetane polymer, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof, and an energy curable composition. The low viscosity oxetane polymer has the structure as represented by formula (I), wherein R.sub.1 represents hydrogen or methyl. The weight average molecular weight of the polymer ranges from 250 to 1100. The oxetane polymer is simple to synthesize, the synthesis process does not use halogen-containing raw materials, no halogen residue exists, no other associated product is generated, and the atomic utilization rate is high. The oxetane polymer is low in cost and viscosity, and is convenient to use.

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Some variations provide a multiphase polymer composition comprising a first polymer material and a second polymer material that are chemically distinct, wherein the first polymer material and the second polymer material are microphase-separated on a microphase-separation length scale from about 0.1 microns to about 500 microns, wherein the multiphase polymer composition comprises first solid functional particles selectively dispersed within the first polymer material, and wherein the first solid functional particles are chemically distinct from the first polymer material and the second polymer material. Some embodiments provide an anti-corrosion composition comprising first corrosion-inhibitor particles or precursors selectively dispersed within the first polymer material, wherein the multiphase polymer composition optionally further comprises second corrosion-inhibitor particles or precursors selectively dispersed within the second polymer material. These multiphase polymer compositions may be used for other applications, such as self-cleaning, self-healing, or flame-retardant coatings. Methods of making and using these multiphase polymer compositions are disclosed.

An alkylene oxide mixture containing greater than 50% by weight ethylene oxide is continuously polymerized in the presence of a double metal cyanide polymerization catalyst and certain magnesium, Group 3-Group 15 metal or lanthanide series metal compounds. The presence of the magnesium, Group 3-Group 15 metal or lanthanide series metal compound permits the polymerization to be performed continuously without premature deactivation of the double metal cyanide catalyst.

An alkylene oxide mixture containing greater than 50% by weight ethylene oxide is continuously polymerized in the presence of a double metal cyanide polymerization catalyst and certain magnesium, Group 3-Group 15 metal or lanthanide series metal compounds. The presence of the magnesium, Group 3-Group 15 metal or lanthanide series metal compound permits the polymerization to be performed continuously without premature deactivation of the double metal cyanide catalyst.