A new method of high polymerization of acetaldehyde

Abstract

Abstract It has long been known that freezing of acetaldehyde was an indispensable process for high polymerization of it. We have, however, found that acetaldehyde was converted into high polymer above its melting point by aluminium oxide as catalyst. Polyacetaldehyde thus obtained is white, nontacky and highly elastic material, whose structure was shown to be methyl polyoxymethylene by infra‐red spectrum. CrO 3 and MoO 3 gave high polymers, but in much less yield than alumina. Other metal oxides such as B 2 O 3 , P 2 O 5 , MgO, ThO 2 , SiO 2 , CuO, TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , V 2 O 5 , ZnO, MnO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , BaO, PtO 2 , PdO, Ni 2 O 3 , CaO and silicaalumina (SiO 2 87%, Al 2 O 3 13%) were inactive. It was suggested that the adsorption of acetaldehyde on alumina played an influential role in this polymerization.