Graft copolymers of acrylonitrile and another ethenoid monomer with a hydroxyl-containing cellulose derivative and their preparation

Claim 1

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES GRAFT COPOLYMERIZING A MIXTURE OF 5-50% BY WEIGHT OF A COMPOUND COMPOSED OF CELLULOSE HAVING 10-70% OF THE HYDROXYL GROUPS OF THE CELLULOSE IN FREE FORM AND HAVING THE HYDROGEN OF THE REMAINDER OF THE HYDROXYL GROUPS REPLACED BY RADICALS FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL GROUPS OF 1-4 CARBON ATOMS, CARBOXYALKYL GROUPS OF 2-5 CARBON ATOMS AND ACYL GROUPS OF 2-5 CARBON ATOMS, AND 95-50% BY WEIGHT OF MONOMERIC MATERIAL CONSISTING OF 75-98% BY WEIGHT OF ACRYLONITRILE AND 25-2% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER POLYMERIZABLE MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS WHEREIN THE ESTER GROUP CONTAINS 1-4 CARBON ATOMS AND THE CARBOXYLIC ACID GROUP CONTAINS 2-5 CARBON ATOMS, AMIDES AND N-ALKYL AND N,N-DIALKYL AMIDES OF MONOETHYLENIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS OF 2-5 CARBON ATOMS WHEREIN SAID ALKYL GROUPS CONTAIN 1-4 CARBON ATOMS, VINYL PYRIDINES, SYTRENE, VINYL CHLORIDE, CINYLIDENE CHLORIDE, ALKYL VINYL ETHERS WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS 1-3 CARBON ATOMS, VINYL KETONES CONTAINING 4-6 CARBON ATOMS, ACRYLIC ACID AND METHACRYLIC ACID, AND THEREBY FORMING A COMPOSITE UNITARY POLYMER CAPABLE OF FROMING HIGH SOFTENING, READILY DYEABLE UNSEGMENTED FIBERS, SAID GRAFT COPOLYMERIZING BEING EFFECTED BY HEATING SAID MIXTURE OF CELLULOSE COMPOUND AND MONOMERIC MATERIAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A POLYMERICATION CATALYST AND 0.01-2.0 MOLE PERCENT BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL OF AN ALKYL MERCAPTAN WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS 4-18 CARBON ATOMS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES GRAFT COPOLYMERIZING A MIXTURE OF 5-50% BY WEIGHT OF A COMPOUND COMPOSED OF CELLULOSE HAVING 10-70% OF THE HYDROXYL GROUPS OF THE CELLULOSE IN FREE FORM AND HAVING THE HYDROGEN OF THE REMAINDER OF THE HYDROXYL GROUPS REPLACED BY RADICALS FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL GROUPS OF 1-4 CARBON ATOMS, CARBOXYALKYL GROUPS OF 2-5 CARBON ATOMS AND ACYL GROUPS OF 2-5 CARBON ATOMS, AND 95-50% BY WEIGHT OF MONOMERIC MATERIAL CONSISTING OF 75-98% BY WEIGHT OF ACRYLONITRILE AND 25-2% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER POLYMERIZABLE MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS WHEREIN THE ESTER GROUP CONTAINS 1-4 CARBON ATOMS AND THE CARBOXYLIC ACID GROUP CONTAINS 2-5 CARBON ATOMS, AMIDES AND N-ALKYL AND N,N-DIALKYL AMIDES OF MONOETHYLENIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS OF 2-5 CARBON ATOMS WHEREIN SAID ALKYL GROUPS CONTAIN 1-4 CARBON ATOMS, VINYL PYRIDINES, SYTRENE, VINYL CHLORIDE, CINYLIDENE CHLORIDE, ALKYL VINYL ETHERS WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS 1-3 CARBON ATOMS, VINYL KETONES CONTAINING 4-6 CARBON ATOMS, ACRYLIC ACID AND METHACRYLIC ACID, AND THEREBY FORMING A COMPOSITE UNITARY POLYMER CAPABLE OF FROMING HIGH SOFTENING, READILY DYEABLE UNSEGMENTED FIBERS, SAID GRAFT COPOLYMERIZING BEING EFFECTED BY HEATING SAID MIXTURE OF CELLULOSE COMPOUND AND MONOMERIC MATERIAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A POLYMERICATION CATALYST AND 0.01-2.0 MOLE PERCENT BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL OF AN ALKYL MERCAPTAN WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS 4-18 CARBON ATOMS.