GB905680A - Vinylidene interpolymer latices - Google Patents

Abstract

An aqueous latex of an interpolymer from (a) 12 to 58% by weight of a fumaric ester having a total of 6 to 32 carbon atoms in the ester group or groups, or a mixture thereof, (b) 1 to 5% by weight of acrylic acid or an alpha or beta methyl or phenyl acrylic acid, or a mixture thereof, and (c) 41 to 87% by weight of a monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon or a C1-C3 alkyl methacrylate, or a mixture thereof, is made by continually adding an aqueous composition containing a polymerization catalyst and an emulsifying agent to a charge of water in a reaction vessel maintained under polymerization conditions, during the first part of such addition gradually adding a part of monomer (c) amounting to 10 to 60% of the total monomers to be charged, gradually adding the remainder of the monomers thereafter and maintaining the whole at a polymerizing temperature until the reaction is complete. A part of monomer (c) may be replaced by 3 to 20% by weight of the interpolymer of acrylonitrile and/or methacrylonitrile. Monomers specified are: (a) dibutyl, butyl octyl, dioctyl, methyl decyl, methyl octadecyl, didecyl, di-2-ethylhexyl and dihexadecyl fumarates, (b) acrylic, methacrylic, cinnamic, atropic and crotonic acids, and (c) styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, alpha-methyl-p-,methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, m-ethylstyrene, p-chloro- and p-bromo-styrenes, p-isopropylstyrene, 2,4- and 2,5-dichlorostyrenes and vinyl naphthalene, and methyl ethyl and propyl methacrylates. Catalysts specified are benzoyl, lauroyl and ditertiary butyl peroxides, cumene hydroperoxide, potassium persulphate, azobisisobutyronitrile and redox catalysts, e.g. potassium persulphate+sodium bisulphite, hydrogen peroxide+ferrous sulphate and hydrogen peroxide+ferric sulphate+sodium pyrophosphate. Emulsifiers specified are alkali metal and amine salts of rosin acids, alkali metal salts of long chain alkyl sulphates and sulphonates and ethylene oxide condensates of long chain fatty alcohols, fatty acids and mercaptans; preferred is a mixture of a condensation product of ethylene oxide and tridecanol or octyl phenol and an alkali metal salt of an aralkyl polyether sulphate.