The Formation of High Polymers by Condensation between Metallic Polysulfides and Dihalogenated Hydrocarbons and Ethers

The general theory of formation of high molecular weight linear polymers by condensation between bifunctional compounds of low molecular weight to form products of large molecular mass has been so thoroughly reported in the literature that no extensive citation is believed to be advisable here. A very thorough study of this type of reaction has been made by Carothers and his co-workers on the formation of polyesters, the reaction being of the general type: One can, without taxing the imagination, conceive of the polymerization of isoprene or butadiene as belonging to the same general type of phenomenon, differing only in the fact that the reacting molecules are alike instead of different and that the “condensate” is one double bond per molecule. Therefore, no attempt will be made in this paper to distinguish between condensation and polymerization. When organic dihalides having CH₂X terminals, in which “X” denotes a halogen, are caused to react with metallic polysulfides, MS_xM⁠, there usually results a linear polymer of high molecular weight.