Polymerization process for watersoluble polymers

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION MONOMERIC MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLAMIDE, METHACRYLAMIDE, ACRYLIC ACID AND METHACRYLIC ACID AND WATER-SOLUBLE MIXTURES THEREOF WITH NOT MORE THAN 25% OF A MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER COPOLYMERIZABLE THEREWITH BY DISPERSING INTO SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF MONOMERIC MATERIAL FROM ABOUT 0.001 TO ABOUT 0.5% OF A REDOX CATALYST, THE OXIDIZING COMPONENT A AND THE REDUCING COMPONENT B OF SAID CATALYST BEING PRESENT IN APPROXIMATELY STOICHIOMETRICALLY EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS, AND ADDITIONALLY DISPERSING IN SAID SOLUTION AN AMOUNT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 TO 4 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF SAID REDOX CATALYST, OF THE OXIDIZING COMPONENT A BUT NO FURTHER AMOUNT OF THE REDUCING COMPONENT B, SAID A COMPONENT HAVING A POLYMERIZATION ACTIVATION TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THE STOICHIOMETRICALLY EQUIVALENT FRACTION OF SAID CATALYST WHICH COMBINES WITH B, THEREBY BEING ACTIVATED AT AN ADVANCED STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION REACTION; AND EFFECTING POLYMERIZATION OF SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL WITH NO ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF CATALYST BY INITIATING THE POLYMERIZATION AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 35*C. AND 55*C. AND COMPLETING THE ADVANCED STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION AT A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN ABOUT 65*C.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION MONOMERIC MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLAMIDE, METHACRYLAMIDE, ACRYLIC ACID AND METHACRYLIC ACID AND WATER-SOLUBLE MIXTURES THEREOF WITH NOT MORE THAN 25% OF A MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER COPOLYMERIZABLE THEREWITH BY DISPERSING INTO SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF MONOMERIC MATERIAL FROM ABOUT 0.001 TO ABOUT 0.5% OF A REDOX CATALYST, THE OXIDIZING COMPONENT A AND THE REDUCING COMPONENT B OF SAID CATALYST BEING PRESENT IN APPROXIMATELY STOICHIOMETRICALLY EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS, AND ADDITIONALLY DISPERSING IN SAID SOLUTION AN AMOUNT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 TO 4 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF SAID REDOX CATALYST, OF THE OXIDIZING COMPONENT A BUT NO FURTHER AMOUNT OF THE REDUCING COMPONENT B, SAID A COMPONENT HAVING A POLYMERIZATION ACTIVATION TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THE STOICHIOMETRICALLY EQUIVALENT FRACTION OF SAID CATALYST WHICH COMBINES WITH B, THEREBY BEING ACTIVATED AT AN ADVANCED STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION REACTION; AND EFFECTING POLYMERIZATION OF SAID MONOMERIC MATERIAL WITH NO ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF CATALYST BY INITIATING THE POLYMERIZATION AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 35*C. AND 55*C. AND COMPLETING THE ADVANCED STAGE OF THE POLYMERIZATION AT A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN ABOUT 65*C.