Low-temperature emulsion polymerization employing hydrocarbon additives

Claim 1

A HIGH CONVERSION POLYMERIZATION PROCESS WHEREIN AT LEAST 90 PER CENT OF THE MONOMERIC MATERIAL IS POLYMERIZED IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM TO PRODUCE AN ESSENTIALLY GEL-FREE SYNTHETIC RUBBER LATEX WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING AT A POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE NOT HIGHER THAN 15* C. AN EMULSION COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS PHASE, A LIQUID MONOMERIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A MAJOR AMOUNT OF 1,3-BUTADIENE AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF STYRENE, AN EMULSIFYING AGENT, AND AN OXIDANT-REDUCTANT POLYMERIZATION CATALYST COMPOSITION EFFECTIVE TO OBTAIN SAID POLYMERIZATION, AND AT LEAST ONE HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALIPHATIC PARAFFINS AND MONOOLEFINS CONTAINING FROM 3 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, THE WEIGHT RATIO OF SAID HYDROCARBON TO TOTAL MONOMERIC MATERIAL BEING WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1.0:0.5 TO 1:10, AND CONTINUING THE POLYMERIZATION UNTIL AT LEAST 90 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL MONOMERIC MATERIAL IS POLYMERIZED THEREBY PRODUCING AN ESSENTIALLY GEL-FREE HIGH CONVERSION SYNTHETIC RUBBER LATEX.