Acrylonitrile copolymers and method of producing them

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR THE SOLUTION COPOLYMERIZATION OF MIXED, ORGANIC POLYMERIZABLE MONOMERS WHICH CONTAIN THE GROUP CH2=<, AND HAVE DIFFFERENT VAPOR PRESSURES AND RATES OF ACCEPTANCE INTO THE COPOLYMER MOLECULE, THE MONOMER OF GREATER VAPOR PRESSURE HAVING, AT THE REFLUX TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION, A VAPOR PRESSURE AND SOLUBILITY IN WATER SUCH THAT A RELIABLY DETECTABLE TEMPERTURE CHANGE WILL RESULT WHEN THE AMOUNT OF THE MONOMER VAPORIZED PER LITER OF SOLUTION AVERAGES 0.005 TO 0.1 MOLE, WHICH COMPRISES DISSOLVING IN WATER TO FORM A SINGLE-LIQUIDPHASE SYSTEM A SMALL AMOUNT OF A MIXTURE OF THE MONOMERS CONTAINING THEM IN PREDETERMINED PROPORTIONS, BRINGING THE SOULUTION TO REFLUX TEMPERATURE, ADDING A WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST TO THE SOLUTION AT THE REFLUX TEMPERATURE AND, AFTER COPOLYMERIZATION HAS BEEN INITIATED, CONTINUOUSLY ADDING TO THE SOLU TION A MIXTURE COMPRISING THE MONOMERS IN PROPORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE PROPORTIONS OF THE MONOMERS IN THE COPOLYMER FORMED INITIALLY, AT A RATE WHICH MAINTAINS THE RATE AND TEMPERATURE OF REFLUX SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THROUGOUT THE COPOLYMERIZATION REACTION, SAID COPOLYMERIZATION BEING CARRIED OUT EXCLUSIVELY IN A SINGLE-LUQUIDPHASE SYSTEM.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR THE SOLUTION COPOLYMERIZATION OF MIXED, ORGANIC POLYMERIZABLE MONOMERS WHICH CONTAIN THE GROUP CH2=<, AND HAVE DIFFFERENT VAPOR PRESSURES AND RATES OF ACCEPTANCE INTO THE COPOLYMER MOLECULE, THE MONOMER OF GREATER VAPOR PRESSURE HAVING, AT THE REFLUX TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION, A VAPOR PRESSURE AND SOLUBILITY IN WATER SUCH THAT A RELIABLY DETECTABLE TEMPERTURE CHANGE WILL RESULT WHEN THE AMOUNT OF THE MONOMER VAPORIZED PER LITER OF SOLUTION AVERAGES 0.005 TO 0.1 MOLE, WHICH COMPRISES DISSOLVING IN WATER TO FORM A SINGLE-LIQUIDPHASE SYSTEM A SMALL AMOUNT OF A MIXTURE OF THE MONOMERS CONTAINING THEM IN PREDETERMINED PROPORTIONS, BRINGING THE SOULUTION TO REFLUX TEMPERATURE, ADDING A WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST TO THE SOLUTION AT THE REFLUX TEMPERATURE AND, AFTER COPOLYMERIZATION HAS BEEN INITIATED, CONTINUOUSLY ADDING TO THE SOLU TION A MIXTURE COMPRISING THE MONOMERS IN PROPORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE PROPORTIONS OF THE MONOMERS IN THE COPOLYMER FORMED INITIALLY, AT A RATE WHICH MAINTAINS THE RATE AND TEMPERATURE OF REFLUX SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THROUGOUT THE COPOLYMERIZATION REACTION, SAID COPOLYMERIZATION BEING CARRIED OUT EXCLUSIVELY IN A SINGLE-LUQUIDPHASE SYSTEM.