Emulsion polymerization in the presence of a synergistic combination of emulsifiers with certain trisubstituted hydroperoxymethanes

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A SYNTHETIC RUBBER BY POLYMERIZATION IN AN AQUEOUS EMULSION OF A MONOMERIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A MAJOR PORTION OF 1,3-BUTADIENE AND CONTAINING A ROSIN ACID DISPERSED THEREIN, WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL WHILE DISPERSED IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM COMPRISING METHANOL AT A POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE BELOW 0* C. AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OXIDANT-CONTAINING POLYMERIZATION CATALYST COMPOSITION IN WHICH SAID OXIDANT IS A HYDROPEROXIDE OF DIISOPROPYLBENZENE, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPRISING 40 TO 80 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF A POTASSIUM SALT OF A ROSIN ACID AND 60 TO 20 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF A POTASSIUM SALT OF A FATTY ACID HAVING AT LEAST FOURTEEN CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, AND COAGULATING A RESULTING LATEX WITH AN ACID COAGULANT WHEREBY SAID ROSIN ACID SALT IS CONVERTED INTO A ROSIN ACID DISPERSED IN THE RESULTING SYNTHETIC RUBBER TO PRODUCED.