Preparation of poly(oxybutyleneoxymaleoyl) catalyzed by a proton exchanged montmorillonite clay.

The polycondensation of tetrahydrofuran with maleic anhydride catalyzed by Maghnite-H+ (Mag-H) was investigated. Maghnite is a montmorillonite sheet silicate clay that is exchanged with protons to produce Maghnite-H [1]. It was found that the polymerization in bulk is initiated by Mag-H in the presence of acetic anhydride at 40 degrees C. The effects of the amounts of Mag-H and acetic anhydride were studied. The polymerization yield increased as the proportions of catalyst and acetic anhydride were increased.