Improvements in or relating to the production of polymers from monomeric epoxy compounds

Monomeric epoxy compounds of general formula: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl radical; R2 and R3 are each hydrogen atoms or alkyl radicals or together may form an alicyclic ring; and R4 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl radical, a halomethyl radical or the group -CH2OR5 wherein R5 is an aryl, alkyl aryl or haloaryl radical - are polymerized in contact with a catalyst of general formula Me(O#j)x in which Me represents aluminium, magnesium or zinc; #j is an aryl or substituted aryl radical; and #c is the valency of Me. Epoxy compounds specified are epichlorohydrin, ethylene oxide, 1, 2-propylene oxide, 2, 3-butylene oxide, isobutylene oxide, tetramethyl-ethylene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, styrene oxide, phenyl glycidyl ether, tolyl glycidyl ether, chlorophenyl glycidyl ether and naphthyl glycidyl ether. Aluminium triphen-oxide is the preferred catalyst. The reaction may be carried out at temperatures between 0 DEG and 200 DEG C. or higher, at pressures from atmospheric up to 40 atmospheres or higher and in the absence or the presence of a solvent, e.g. an aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon, a chlorinated hydrocarbon or an ether. In the examples, ethylene oxide or styrene oxide is polymerized using benzene as the solvent and aluminium triphenoxide as catalyst. The polymers may be used as thickening agents; high molecular weight polymers from ethylene oxide may also be processed into thin water-soluble films. Specification 875,162 also is referred to.