Aqueous interpolymer latices comprising fumarates, unsaturated acids, and aromatic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

AN EMULSION POLYMERIZATION PROCESS FOR PREPARING AN AQUEOUS LATEX OF INTERPOLYMER WHICH INTERPOLYMER COMPRISES (1) ABOUT 12-58% BY WEIGHT OF AN ALKYL ESTER OF FUMERIC ACID THE ALKYL ALCOHOL RADICALS OF WHICH CONTAIN A TOTAL OF 6-32 CARBON ATOMS, (2) ABOUT 1-5% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE UNSATURATED ACID OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC ACID, METHACRYLIC ACID, CINNAMIC ACID, ATROPIC ACID AND CROTONIC ACID, (3) ABOUT 40-87% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE HARDENING COMONOMER OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, HALOGENATED DERWATIVES OF MONOVINYLIDENE AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, AND ALKYL ESTERS OF METHACRYLIC ACID, THE ALKYL ALCOHOL RADICAL OF WHICH CONTAINS 1-3 CARBON ATOMS, WHICH COMPRISES SLOWLY AND CONTINUOUSLY ADDING AN AQUEOUS COMPOSITION CONTAINING A POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AND EMULSIFIER TO A KETTLE CHARGE CONTAINING A MAJOR PORTION OF THE WATER REQUIREMENT FOR SAID POLYMERIZATION AND BEING MANTAINED AT POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE, SLOWLY ADDING WITH THE FIRST PORTION OF THE CATALYST-EMULSIFIER COMPOSITION A FIRST MONOMER CHARGE COMPRISING A PORTION OF THE HARDENING COMONOMER, SAID FIRST MONOMER CHARGE COMPRISING 10-60% BY WEIGHT OF THE TOTAL MONOMERS, AND THEREAFTER SLOWLY ADDING THE REMAINDER OF THE MONOMERS TOGETHER WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE AQUEOUS CATALYST-EMULSIFIER COMPOSITION WITH PLOYMERIZATION OF THE MONOMERS CONTAINED IN EACH MONOMER CHARGE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELING THE ADDITION THEREOF, AND MAINTAINING THE RESULTANT REACTION MIXTURE AT POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE UNTIL POLYMERIZATION IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.