Reduced polymers of methacrolein

Claim 1

A HYDROGENATED COPOLYMER OF METHACROLEIN AND A VINYLIDENE AROMATIC COMPOUND OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STYRENE, ALPHA-METHYL STYRENE, O-, M-, AND P-METHYL STYRENES, ALPHA-METHYL-P-METHYL STYRENE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, SAID HYDROGENATED COPOLYMER HAVING BEEN PREPARED SUBJECTING A TETRAHYDROFURANE-SOLUBLE COPOLYMER OF METHAROLEIN AND THE VINYLIDENE AROMATIC COMPOUND TO THE ACTION OF A REDUCING AGENT CAPABLE OF REDUCING ALDEHYDE GROUPS TO ALCOHOLIC HYDROXYL GROUPS UNDER MILD CONDITIONS IN AN ORGANIC SOLVENT INERT TO THE HYDROGENTION REACTION TO HYDROGENATE THE COPOLYMER ONLY AT THE ALDEHYDE GROUPS, SAID TETRAHYDROFURANE-SOLUBLE COPOLYMER HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 700-10,000 AND A COMBINED METHACROLEIN CONTENT OF 20-60% BY WEIGHT AND HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY SUBJECTING A REACTION MIXTURE TO TEMPERATURES OF 140/250*C UNDER AUTOGENOUS PRESSURE AND THEN REMOVING LOW-BOILING BY-PRODUCTS, SAID REACTION MIXTURE BEING A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) MIXTURE CONSISTING OF 20-80 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF METHACROLEIN AND, CORRESPONDINGLY, 80-20 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE VINYLIDENE AROMATIC COMPOUND, (B) A MIXTURE CONSISTING OF 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF (A) AND 20-80 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON SOLVENT, (C) A MIXTURE CONSISTING OF (A) AND A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A FREE RADICAL-PRODUCING CATALYST, AND (D) A MIXTURE CONSISTING OF (B) AND A CATALYST AMOUNT OF A FREE RAADICALPRODUCING CATALYST.