Graft copolymers

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF A GRAFT COPOLYMER IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF OXYGEN OF A POLY(ALKYL METHACRYLATE), IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM THREE TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, AND A MONOMER FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKYL ACRYLATED AND THIOACRYLATES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM ONE TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, ALKYL METHACRYLATES AND THIOMETHACRYLATES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM ONE TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, ACRYLONITRILE, METHACRYLONITRILE, ACRYLIC ACID, METHACRYLIC ACID, HYDROXY-SUBSTITUTED ALKYL VINYL ETHERS IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM TWO TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS AND IN WHICH THERE ARE ONE TO TWO HYDROXY GROUPS ON SAID ALKYL PORTION BUT NEVER MORE THAN ONE HYDROXY GROUP ON ANY ONE CARBON ATOM AND NO HYDROXY GROUP IS CLOSER THAN TWO CARBON ATOMS TO THE ETHER OXYGEN, ALKANAMIDOALKYL VINYL ETHER IN WHICH THE NON-VINYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM THREE TO TWENTY-THREE CARBON ATOMS, VINYL ALKYL SULFIDES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS NO MORE THAN EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, HYDROXY-SUBSTITUTED ALKYL VINYL SULFIDES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM TWO TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS AND IN WHICH THERE ARE ONE TO TWO HYDROXY GROUPS ON SAID ALKYL PORTION BUT NEVER MORE THAN ONE HYDROXY GROUP ON ANY ONE CARBON ATOM AND NO HYDROXY GROUP IS CLOSER THAN TWO CARBON ATOMS TO THE SULFUR ATOM, DIALKYLAMINOALKYL VINYL SULFIDES IN WHICH THE DIALKYL PORTION CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY CONTAINS UP TO ABOUT EIGHT CARBON ATOMS AND COLLECTIVELY FORMS A FIVE- TO SIX-MEMBERED HETEROCYCLIC AMINO GROUP WITH THE AMINO NITROGEN ATOM AND IN WHICH SAID AMINO NITROGEN ATOM IS CONNECTED TO THE SULFUR ATOM BY MEANS OF A ALKYLENE GROUP OF TWO TO EIGHTEEEN CATBON ATOMS, N-VINYL LACTAMS AND ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED N-VINYL LACTAMS CONTAINING FROM SIX TO TWENTY CARBON ATOMS, ALKYL VINYL SULFONES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS NO MORE THAN EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, N-VINYLALKYLENEUREAS CONTAINING FROM FIVE TO TWELVE CARBON ATOMS, AND N-VINYLN''-AMINOALKYLALKYLENEUREAS CONTAINING FROM SEVEN TO TWENTY CARBON ATOMS, WHICH COMPRISES GRAFT COPOLYMERIZING SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY 2 TO 98% BY WEIGHT OF SAID POLY(ALKYL METHACRYLATE) AND 98 TO 2% BY WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMER BY EXPOSURE TO 10,000 TO 10,000,000 REPS FOF HIGH-ENERGY IONIZING RADIATION AT A TEMPERATURE RANGE OF ABOUT -70* TO 100*C., IN WHICH SAID POLY(ALKY METHACRYLATE) HAS A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 1000 TO 5,000,000 AND IN WHICH SAID MONOMER FORMS A SIDE CHAIN GRAFT HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF AT LEAST 1000.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF A GRAFT COPOLYMER IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF OXYGEN OF A POLY(ALKYL METHACRYLATE), IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM THREE TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, AND A MONOMER FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKYL ACRYLATED AND THIOACRYLATES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM ONE TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, ALKYL METHACRYLATES AND THIOMETHACRYLATES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM ONE TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, ACRYLONITRILE, METHACRYLONITRILE, ACRYLIC ACID, METHACRYLIC ACID, HYDROXY-SUBSTITUTED ALKYL VINYL ETHERS IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM TWO TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS AND IN WHICH THERE ARE ONE TO TWO HYDROXY GROUPS ON SAID ALKYL PORTION BUT NEVER MORE THAN ONE HYDROXY GROUP ON ANY ONE CARBON ATOM AND NO HYDROXY GROUP IS CLOSER THAN TWO CARBON ATOMS TO THE ETHER OXYGEN, ALKANAMIDOALKYL VINYL ETHER IN WHICH THE NON-VINYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM THREE TO TWENTY-THREE CARBON ATOMS, VINYL ALKYL SULFIDES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS NO MORE THAN EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, HYDROXY-SUBSTITUTED ALKYL VINYL SULFIDES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS FROM TWO TO EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS AND IN WHICH THERE ARE ONE TO TWO HYDROXY GROUPS ON SAID ALKYL PORTION BUT NEVER MORE THAN ONE HYDROXY GROUP ON ANY ONE CARBON ATOM AND NO HYDROXY GROUP IS CLOSER THAN TWO CARBON ATOMS TO THE SULFUR ATOM, DIALKYLAMINOALKYL VINYL SULFIDES IN WHICH THE DIALKYL PORTION CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY CONTAINS UP TO ABOUT EIGHT CARBON ATOMS AND COLLECTIVELY FORMS A FIVE- TO SIX-MEMBERED HETEROCYCLIC AMINO GROUP WITH THE AMINO NITROGEN ATOM AND IN WHICH SAID AMINO NITROGEN ATOM IS CONNECTED TO THE SULFUR ATOM BY MEANS OF A ALKYLENE GROUP OF TWO TO EIGHTEEEN CATBON ATOMS, N-VINYL LACTAMS AND ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED N-VINYL LACTAMS CONTAINING FROM SIX TO TWENTY CARBON ATOMS, ALKYL VINYL SULFONES IN WHICH THE ALKYL PORTION CONTAINS NO MORE THAN EIGHTEEN CARBON ATOMS, N-VINYLALKYLENEUREAS CONTAINING FROM FIVE TO TWELVE CARBON ATOMS, AND N-VINYLN''-AMINOALKYLALKYLENEUREAS CONTAINING FROM SEVEN TO TWENTY CARBON ATOMS, WHICH COMPRISES GRAFT COPOLYMERIZING SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY 2 TO 98% BY WEIGHT OF SAID POLY(ALKYL METHACRYLATE) AND 98 TO 2% BY WEIGHT OF SAID MONOMER BY EXPOSURE TO 10,000 TO 10,000,000 REPS FOF HIGH-ENERGY IONIZING RADIATION AT A TEMPERATURE RANGE OF ABOUT -70* TO 100*C., IN WHICH SAID POLY(ALKY METHACRYLATE) HAS A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 1000 TO 5,000,000 AND IN WHICH SAID MONOMER FORMS A SIDE CHAIN GRAFT HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF AT LEAST 1000.