Block polymers of methacrylates and derivatives thereof

Claim 2

A composition including at least 90 percent by weight of a block polymer comprising in polymerized form at least one block of a moiety selected from the hydrolyzable 0 2 - 5 alkyl esters of methacrylic acid: methacrylic acid; and ionomers of methacrylic acid and at least one other block of an anionically copolymerizable monomer other than methylmethacrylate.

Claim 3

A composition according to Claim 1, wherein the other block comprises in polymerized form a conjugated diene, a hydrogenated conjugated diene or a C 6 - 20 nonhydrolyzable methacrylate ester.

Claim 4

A composition including at least 90 percent by weight of a block polymer corresponding to the Formula AB ( BA) " or BA ( AB) n , wherein: A is a homopolymer comprising, in polymerized form, a hydrolyzable ester of methacrylic acid having from 2 to 5 carbons in the ester group, methacrylic acid, or a salt of methacrylic acid, or A is a block or random copolymer comprising, in polymerized form, more than one hydrolyzable ester of methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid or an ionomer thereof; or A is a block or random copolymer of one or more hydrolyzable esters of methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid or salts thereof with one or more copolymerizable comonomers. B is a homopolymer comprising, in polymerized form, a non-hydrolyzable methacrylate ester moiety having from 6 to 20 carbons in the ester group, or a diene or hydrogenated diene moiety, or B is a block or random copolymer comprising in polymerized form more than one non-hydrolyzable methacrylate ester moiety having from 6 to 20 carbons, or more than one diene or hydrogenated diene; or B is a block or random copolymer comprising in polymerized form one or more than one non-hydrolyzable methacrylate esters having from 6 to 20 carbons in the ester group, conjugated dienes or hydrogenated dienes with one or more copolymerizable comonomers, and n is a number from 0 to 6.

Claim 5

A composition including at least 90 percent by weight of a block polymer corresponding to the Formula AB ( BA) " or BA ( AB) n , wherein: A is a homopolymer comprising, in polymerized form, a hydrolyzable ester of methacrylic acid having from 2 to 5 carbons in the ester group, methacrylic acid, or a salt of methacrylic acid, or A is a block or random copolymer comprising, in polymerized form, more than one hydrolyzable ester of methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid or an ionomer thereof; or A is a block or random copolymer of one or more hydrolyzable esters of methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid or salts thereof with one or more copolymerizable comonomers. B is a homopolymer comprising, in polymerized form, a non-hydrolyzable methacrylate ester moiety having from 6 to 20 carbons in the ester group, or a diene or hydrogenated diene moiety, or B is a block or random copolymer comprising in polymerized form more than one non-hydrolyzable methacrylate ester moiety having from 6 to 20 carbons, or more than one diene or hydrogenated diene; or B is a block or random copolymer comprising in polymerized form one or more than one non-hydrolyzable methacrylate esters having from 6 to 20 carbons in the ester group, conjugated dienes or hydrogenated dienes with one or more copolymerizable comonomers, and n is a number from 0 to 6.

Claim 6

A composition according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the diene is butadiene or isoprene and the non-hydrolyzable methacrylate ester is an aryl or alkyl methacrylate.

Claim 7

A composition according to Claim 4, wherein the non-hydrolyzable methacrylate is 2-ethylhexylmethacrylate.

Claim 8

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hydrolyzable alkyl ester of methacrylic acid is a tertiary alkyl methacrylate.

Claim 9

A composition according to Claim 6, wherein the tertiary alkyl methacrylate is t-butyl methacrylate.

Claim 10

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, additionally comprising in polymerized form a block of a monovinylidene aromatic monomer.

Claim 11

A composition according to Claim 8, wherein the monovinylidene aromatic monomer is styrene.

Claim 12

An impact modified polymer comprising at least 5% by weight of a block polymer according to any one of the preceding claims and additionally containing one or more polymer components selected from polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, polycarbonate, epoxy resins, polyaryl ethers, polysulfones, copolymers of monomers selected from vinylaromatic monomers, acrylonitrile, methylmethacrylate, dicarboxylic acid anhydrides, and N-phenyl maleimide; and rubber modified derivatives of the foregoing polymers.

Claim 13

An elastomeric polymer composition comprising at least 5% by weight of a block polymer according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and additionally containing one or more components selected from rubbery polymers, tackifiers, plasticizers, colorants, crosslinking agents, flow promoters, UV stabilizers. heat stabilizers, extenders, fillers and reinforcing aids.

Claim 14

An adhesive composition comprising at least 5% by weight of a block polymer according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 and additionally containing one or more components selected from tackifiers, solvents and cross-linking agents.

Claim 15

A process for preparing a block polymer according to any one of the preceding claims comprising: a) contacting a hydrolyzable C 2 - s alkyl ester of methacrylic acid and at least one other anionically copolymerizable monomer in any order with from 0.001 to 1.0 percent by weight of an organometallic anionic polymerization initiator under anionic polymerization conditions; b) optionally, hydrolyzing the C 2 - s alkyl ester functionality of the block polymer product of step (a); and c) optionally, neutralizing the methacrylic acid functionality of the block polymer product of step (b) by contacting with a basic reagent.

Claim 16

A process according to Claim 13, wherein the anionic polymerization of step (a) is carned out in the presence of a polar, aprotic organic compound in a quantity sufficient to modify the polymerization rate.

Claim 17

A process according to Claim 14, wherein the solvent is a cyclic ether.