Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Synthetic polymer chemistry forms the basis of the plastics, fibres and rubber industries. This project involves the development of improved methods to prepare butyl rubber, a commercially important synthetic polymer that finds widespread application in areas ranging from tires to medical septa to chewing gum. Butyl rubber is prepared by the carbocationic copolymerization of isobutylene and isoprene at -100 deg C. This difficult and challenging reaction requires an initiator that is capable of generating a highly reactive carbocation and stabilizing this species through cation-anion interactions. We propose to develop a new class of cationic initiators for the polymerization of olefins. The new initiators will be designed to potentially facilitate polymerization at higher temperature or permit the production of new types of rubber materials. The research will involve a significant amount of synthetic inorganic and phosphorus chemistry. The partner, Lanxess Inc., is a leader in specialty chemicals producing ca. 150,000 tonnes p. a. of butyl rubber in Sarnia, ON and their Global R&D Centre for Butyl Rubber is located in London, ON.