| abstract |
The invention provides a process for preparing a functionalised organic polymer comprising (i) a structural unit derived from a cleaved organic polymer, the cleavable polymer having a weight average molecular weight of greater than 5,000, and having a cleavable unit in its backbone, and (ii) a cross-linkable unit derived from a multifunctional compound having a weight average molecular weight of less than 5,000, the multifunctional compound having at least one functional group capable of reacting with the cleavable unit to cleave the polymer and to form a bond between the multifunctional compound and the cleaved polymer, and at least one further functional group which is capable of undergoing a cross-linking reaction with a cross-linking agent or with other functional groups or cleavable groups in the functionalised or cleavable polymer, which process comprises reacting the polymer and the multifunctional compound together at a temperature of between 50-350 DEG C whilst being intimately mixed under conditions of shear, and quenching the reaction. |