Coagulation of synthetic latices and recovery of emulsifying agents therefrom

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING AND SEPARATING FROM A SYNTHETIC RUBBER TYPE COAGULATED COPOLYMER AN EMULSIFYING AGENT OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ORGANIC SULFATE ANDORGANIC SULFONATE, THE SAID EMULSIFYING AGENT HAVING BEEN EMPLOYED TO ESTABLISH THE AQUEOUS EMULSION IN WHICH THE SAID COAGULATED COPOLYMER HAS BEEN PRODUCED FROM A 1,3-DIOLEFIN AND AN UNSATURATED ORGANIC MONOMER CONTAINING A TERMINAL CH2=< GROUP AND COPOLYMERIZABLE THEREWITH AND WHEREIN CONCOMITANTLY THE SAID COAGULATED COPOLYMER IS RECOVERED FREE FROM SAID EMULSIFYING AGENT THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO A LATEX CONTAINING COPOLYMER, WHICH UPON COAGULATION OF THE LATEX WILL RESULT IN SAID SYNTHETIC RUBBER TYPE COAGULATED COPOLYMER, A WATER-SOLUBLE ALUMINUM SALT IN AN AMOUNT BETWEEN 80 AND 250 PER CENT OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC REQUIREMENT FOR FORMATION OF A WATER-INSOLUBLE ALUMINUM SALT OF SAID EMULSIFYING AGENT, THEREBY EFFECTING A COAGULATION OF SAID LATEX, ADMIXING WITH SAID COAGULATED LATEX AN ALKALINE REAGENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION HAVING A PH BETWEEN 9 AND 12, REMOVING RESULTING EMULSIFIER-FREE COAGULATED POLYMER FROM A RESULTING AQUEOUS SOLUTION, ADDING A WATER-SOLUBLE ACID TO SAID SOLUTION IN AN AMOUNT TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION HAVING A PH BETWEEN 1.5 AND 4, THEREBY EFFECTING A PRECIPITATION OF AN ALUMINUM SALT OF SAID EMULSIFYING AGENT, SEPARATING SAID PRECIPITATE, DISSOLVING SAID PRECIPITATE IN AN ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL HAVING NOT MORE THAN FOUR CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, ADDING TO SAID ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION AN ALKALINE REAGENT IN AN AMOUNT BETWEEN 100 AND 150 PER CENT OF THE AMOUNT REQUIRED STOICHIOMETRICALLY TO CONVERT THE ALUMINUM PRESENT TO ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, REMOVING A RESULTING ALUMINUM-CONTAINING PRECIPITATE, REMOVING THE SOLVENT FROM A RESULTING SOLUTION, AND RECOVERING AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS AN EMULSIFYING AGENT OF SAID CLASS.