Method of dispersing rubbery polymers in aqueous media

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A STABLE DISPERSION OF AN ELASTOMER IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, SAID ELASTOMER BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NATURAL RUBBER, POLYCHLOROPRENE, HOMO-POLYMERS OF ISOBUTYLENE, HOMOPOLYMERS OF CONJUGATED DIENES, AND CO-POLYMERS OF A CONJUGATED DIENE AND A MONO-ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER, COMPRISING MASTICATING SAID ELASTOMER IN THE PRESENCE OF METHYL CELLULOSE AS THE SOLE WATER SOLUBLE DISPERSING AGENT, A PLASTICIZING RESIN COMPATIBLE WITH SAID ELASTOMER AND A VOLATILE ORGANIC LIQUID WHICH IS A SOLVENT FOR SAID PLASTICIZING RESIN AND A SWELLING AGENT FOR SAID ELASTOMER, SAID PLASTICIZING RESIN BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ROSIN, MODIFIED ROSIN, PINENE POLYMERS, COUMARONE-INDENE POLYMERS, AND ORGANIC SOLVENT SOLUBLE PHENOL-ALDEHYDE CONDENSATION PRODUCTS EVAPORATING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE VOLATILE ORGANIC LIQUID FROM THE MASS DURING SAID MASTICATION, ADDING ABOUT FROM 18% TO 23% BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF INGREDIENTS OF WATER TO THE MASS IN SMALL INCREMENTS DURING SAID MASTICATION TO CAUSE PHASE INVERSION FROM A DISPERSION OF WATER-IN-ELASTOMER TO A DISPERSION OF ELASTOMER-INWATER, AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MASS BETWEEN 35*F. AND 120*F. DURING SAID WATER ADDITION.