Tetrahydrobenzyl acrylate

The idea of using polyunsaturated monomers is rooted in the eady history of acryUc elastomers. The first monomers used were butadiene [106-99-0] (35), isoprene [78-79-5] (36), and aHyl maleate [999-21-3] (37), but they did not find commercial success because during polymerization large portions of polymer were cross-linked. Other monomers have been proposed more recentiy tetrahydrobenzyl acrylate (38), dicyclopentenyl acrylate [2542-30-2] (39), and 5-ethyhdene-2-norbomene [16219-75-3] (40). The market potential, at least for the more recent ones, is stiU to be determined. 

Of the dienes, butadiene appears to have been the earliest to have been evaluated. Although it allowed accelerated sulphur vulcanization this was to the detriment of heat and oil resistance. More recently, non-conjugated dienes such as those used with EPDM rubbers have been quoted in the patent literature. These include dicyclopentadiene and methyl cyclopentadiene. A French patent (Tellier and Grimaud, 1968) quotes the use of tetrahydrobenzyl acrylate (VIII). 

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