Coordination Polymerization

Edwin J. Vandenberg, a long time researcher at the Research Center of Hercules Incorporated, was the 1981 winner of the American Chemical Society Award in Polymer Chemistry, sponsored by the Witco Chemical Corp. Following is the citation of the accomplishments which led to this award. "In recognition of his pioneering research that advanced polymer science and that led to the discovery and development of isotactic polypropylene, epichlorohydrin and propylene oxide elastomers, new polymerization catalysts, and the hydrogen method of controlling molecular weights of Ziegler polyolefins." It was my pleasure to arrange a symposium to celebrate this award at the Atlanta Meeting of the American Chemical Society on March 30, 1981. In considering the broad range of Vandenbergs contributions to polymer chemistry, it was decided to choose the subject of "Coordination Polymerization" for the symposium. This area is both one to which Vandenberg has made major contributions and one of great industrial and scientific interest. Since Vandenberg has been involved in coordination polymerization in both ring-opening and a-olefin type polymerizations, both were covered in the symposium, whose program follows. 1. "The Polymerization of 1,2-Epoxides Catalyzed by the Condensation Products of Metal-Containing Compounds with Alkylphosphates", T. Nakata, Research Laboratories, Osaka Soda Co., Ltd., 9 Otakasu-cho, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Pref. 660, Japan.