Polymerization and Copolymerization of 1,3,5-Trioxane

Polymerization of 1,3,5-trioxane (TXN) gives linear polyoxymethylene (POM), a homopolymer of formaldehyde 39). This is the only polyacetal made on the technical scale. Two methods are used for the industrial production of stable, high-molecular-weight POMs. This is either the anionic polymerization of formaldehyde or the cationic copolymerization of the cyclic trimer of formaldehyde TXN with ethylene oxide or 1,3-dioxolane (DXL)  

In this chapter only the cationic polymerization and copolymerization of TXN are discussed. 

Hostaform )421. Copolymerization in solution of hydrocarbons with gradual polymer precipitation also has been developed on the technical scale 43). 

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