A process for producing a polyoxymethylene-polyoxyalkylene copolymer is provided. The process comprises reacting a polymer formaldehyde compound of an alkylene oxide and a specific component (X) in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst. A polyoxymethylene-polyoxyalkylene copolymer can be obtained by means of such a process and to the use of same for producing a polyurethane polymer.

A method for producing a polyoxymethylene polyoxyalkylene copolymer, comprising reacting a polymer formaldehyde compound with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, wherein the polymer formaldehyde compound comprises at least one terminal hydroxyl group and wherein the method comprises the steps of placing a suspending agent in a reactor and subsequently incrementally or continuously metering in the polymer formaldehyde compound into the reactor during the reaction is provided.

A method for producing a polyoxymethylene polyoxyalkylene copolymer, comprising reacting a polymer formaldehyde compound with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, wherein the polymer formaldehyde compound comprises at least one terminal hydroxyl group and wherein the method comprises the steps of placing a suspending agent in a reactor and subsequently incrementally or continuously metering in the polymer formaldehyde compound into the reactor during the reaction is provided.

The invention relates to a method for producing a polyoxymethylene polyoxyalkylene block copolymer, said method including the process of reacting a polymer formaldehyde compound with alkylene oxide in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst and an H-functional starter substance, wherein the theoretical molar mass of the polymer formaldehyde compound is lower than the theoretical molar mass of the H-functional starter substance, and the polymer formaldehyde compound has at least one terminal hydroxyl group, the theoretical molar mass of the H-functional starter substance being at least 500 g/mol. In the method according to the invention, a mixture i) is provided comprising the DMC catalyst and the H-functional starter substance in step (i); the polymer formaldehyde compound is then added to the mixture (i) in step (ii), thereby forming a mixture (ii); and the alkylene oxide is added in step (iii), step (ii) being carried out at the same time as or prior to step (iii).

The patent application relates to a process for preparing polyoxymethylene by polymerization of a reaction mixture (R.sub.G) which comprises at least one formaldehyde source and at least one initiator mixture (I.sub.G), wherein the initiator mixture (I.sub.G) comprises at least one polymerization initiator and at least one solvent of the general formula (I)
R.sup.1—O—[—R.sup.3—O—].sub.m—R.sup.2  (I), where m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each, independently of one another, C.sub.3-C.sub.6-alkyl; R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-C.sub.5-alkylene.

The patent application relates to a process for preparing polyoxymethylene by polymerization of a reaction mixture (R.sub.G) which comprises at least one formaldehyde source and at least one initiator mixture (I.sub.G), wherein the initiator mixture (I.sub.G) comprises at least one polymerization initiator and at least one solvent of the general formula (I)
R.sup.1—O—[—R.sup.3—O—].sub.m—R.sup.2  (I), where m is 1, 2, 3 or 4; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each, independently of one another, C.sub.3-C.sub.6-alkyl; R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-C.sub.5-alkylene.

In a process for producing polyoxymethylene-polyalkylene oxide block copolymers comprising the step of polymerizing an alkylene oxide in the presence of an OH-terminated polyoxymethylene polymer and a catalyst, the polyoxymethylene polymer has a number-average molecular weight Mn determined after derivatization with propylene oxide and gel permeation chromatography against polystyrene standards with tetrahydrofuran as the eluent of ≥1100 g/mol to ≤2300 g/mol and the ratio of alkylene oxide to polyoxymethylene polymer is ≥0.05 mol/g. The invention further relates to copolymers obtainable by the process, to a process for producing polyurethane polymers using these copolymers and to polyurethanes obtainable therefrom.

The invention provides an antimicrobial fiber which exhibits excellent antimicrobial properties even without the addition of antimicrobial agents and can remain antimicrobial even after repeated washing. The antimicrobial fiber comprises a fiber having on a surface thereof a polyacetal copolymer (X) containing oxyalkylene groups, the molar amount of oxyalkylene groups in the polyacetal copolymer (X) being 0.2 to 5 mol % relative to the total of the molar amount of oxymethylene groups and the molar amount of oxyalkylene groups.

The invention provides an antimicrobial fiber which exhibits excellent antimicrobial properties even without the addition of antimicrobial agents and can remain antimicrobial even after repeated washing. The antimicrobial fiber comprises a fiber having on a surface thereof a polyacetal copolymer (X) containing oxyalkylene groups, the molar amount of oxyalkylene groups in the polyacetal copolymer (X) being 0.2 to 5 mol % relative to the total of the molar amount of oxymethylene groups and the molar amount of oxyalkylene groups.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a polyacetal copolymer including: a step of copolymerizing 100 parts by mass of trioxane (A), 0.05 to 5 parts by mass of a cyclic acetal compound (B), and 0.001 to 1 parts by mass of an aliphatic glycidyl ether compound (C) having a chlorine content of 1 to 500 mass ppm, in the presence of a linear formal compound (D) as a molecular weight regulator, in which in the step, when a total mass (g) of the trioxane (A), the compound (B), and the compound (C) is “a”, a molar number of the linear formal compound (D) is “b”, and total molar numbers of water and methanol contained in the trioxane (A), the compound (B), and the compound (C) are respectively “c” and “d”, setting is performed to satisfy (b+c+d)/a=1.5 to 7 μmol/g.