Process for polymerizing vinyl chloride in an aqueous emulsion

Claim 1

A CONTIUOUS PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING VINYL CHLORIDE IN AN AQUEOUS EMULSION WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY ADDING A STABLE AQUEOUS EMULSION CONTAINING FINELY-DIVIDED DROPLETS OF THE SAID VINYL CHLORIDE, A GREATER PART OF SAID DROPLETS HAVING A MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF 0.02 MM., AN EMULSIFYING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AN ALKALI METAL ALKYL SULFATE, ALKALI METAL ALKYL SULFONATE, ALKALI METAL ALKENYL SULFATE AND ALKALI METAL ALKENYL SULFONATE IN AN AMOUNT OF 0.01 TO 0.08 GRAM EQUIVALENT PER 100 GRAMS OF VINYL CHLORIDE, AND A PEROXY POLYMERIZATION CATALYST, TO AN AQUEOUS EMULSION CONTAINED IN A REACTION ZONE AND CONTAINING AN EMULSIFYING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AN ALKALI METAL ALKYL SULFATE, ALKALI METAL ALKYL SULFONATE, ALKALI METAL ALKENYL POLYMERIZATION CATALYST, THE PROPORTIONS OF THE EMULSIFYING AGENT, PEROXY POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AND WATER IN THE EMULSION CONTAINED IN SAID REACTION ZONE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THOSE IN THE STABLE AQUEOUS EMULSION BEING ADDED, AND BEING MAINTAINED AT A POLYMERIZING TEMPERATURE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF THE MIXTURE IN THE REACTION ZONE, THE ADDITION AND WITHDRAWAL BEING SO REGULATED AS TO MAINTAIN THE CONCENTRATION OF ALL COMPONENTS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AND UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE REACTION MIXTURE, AND MAINTAINING THE RATIO OF CONCENTRATIONS OF MONOMERS TO POLYMER IN THE REACTION MIXTURE BETWEEN 0.12 AND 0.30, SAID STABLE EMULSION ADDED TO THE AQUEOUS EMULSION BEING PREPARED BY MIXING THE VINYL CHLORIDE WITH 5% TO 20% BY WEIGHT OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING 5% TO 35% BY WEIGHT OF THE EMULSIFYING AGENT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY MIXING THE RESULTING JELLIED MIXTURE WITH SUFFICIENT WATER AND VIGOROUS AGITATION TO FORM AN AQUEOUS EMULSION CONTAINING 3 TO 40 PARTS OF VINYL CHLORIDE PER 100 PARTS OF WATER WITH WATER AS THE CONTAINUOUS PHASE.