Method of increasing the particle size and solids content of synthetic rubber latex

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A RUBBERY POLYMERIC LATEX HAVING LARGE SIZE LATEX PARTICLES BY POLYMERIZING A POLYMERIZABLE CONJUGATED DIENE MONOMER WHILE DISPERSED IN AN AQUEOUS EMULSION CONTAINING FROM 50 TO 150 PARTS OF WATER PER 100 PARTS OF MONOMER, A MICELLE PRODUCING SURFACTANT, AND A FREE REDICAL INITATOR, AT A POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 40*F. ABOUT 85*F. AND FORMING A RUBBERY LATEX PARTICLE IN WHICH THE MONOMER IS SOLUBLE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES DISPERSING THE MONOMER AND SUFFICIENT SURFACTANT IN THE WATER TO FORM MICELLES TO PROMOTE THE CONVERSION OF MONOMER TO POLYMER AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 2% PER HOUR DURING AT LEAST UP TO 40% CONVERSION OF MONOMER TO POLYMER AND STABILIZE THE RESULTING LATEX PARTICLES DURING SAID CONVERSION PERIOD BUT INSUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE SYSTEM FROM INCREASING TO A MAXIMUM VALUE DURING POLYMERIZATION AND THEN DECREASING TO A MINIMUM VALUE DURING AGGLOMERATION WHEN AT LEAST 40% OF MONOMER HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO POLYMER, POLYMERIZING THE MONOMER TO POLYMER AND INCREASING THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE SYSTEM AND TREATING THE LATEX PARTICLES WITH AGITATION TO CAUSE AGGLOMERATION OF THE LATEX PARTICLES AND A DECREASE OF THE SURFACE TENSION WHEN AT LEAST 40% OF MONOMER HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO POLYMER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SURFACTANT INITIALLY CHARGED AS THE TOTAL SURFACTANT USED, REMOVING UNREACTED MONOMER FROM THE AGGLOMERATED LATEX AND RECOVERING THE LATEX.