Graft copolymer composition and method of making same

Claim 1

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES IN AQUEOUS MEDIA AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 25 TO 75*C. SUSPENSION POLYMERIZING A MONOMERIC MIXTURE COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 10 TO 50 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A POLYMERIZBLE VINYL NITRILE MONOMER AND FROM 90 TO 50 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A POLYMERIZABLE VINYL ARYL MONOMER IN THE PRESENCE OF FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES OF A SUSPENSION POLYMERIZED VINYL HALIDE POLYMERIC MATERIAL, SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL HAVING BEEN SWOLLEN WITH FROM ABOUT 5 TO 30 PARTS BY WEIGHT BASED ON 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL OF AN ESSENTIALLY WATER INSOLUBLE ORGANIC SWELLING AGENT FOR SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL AND WHICH IS A GOOD SOLVENT FOR SAID MONOMERIC MIXTURE, SAID SWELLING AGENT HAVING A HIGH VAPOR PRESSURE, HAVING A MELTING POINT BELOW ABOUT 20* C. AND BEING SELECTED FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THE GROUP CNSISTING OF AN ALKYL KETONE, A HALOGENTAED ALKANE, AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, VINYL CHLORIDE, VINYL FLUORIDE AND VINYL BROMIDE, SAID VINYL CHLORIDE, VINYL FLUROIDE AND VINYL BROMIDE BEING USED IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID VINYL HALIDE POLYMERIC MATERIAL, AND THE OTHER SWELLING AGENTS BEING USED IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 8 TO 30 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PERTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID VINYL HALIDE POLYMERIC MATERIAL, THE RATIO OF SAID MIXTURE TO SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL BEING FROM ABOUT 20:100 TO 100:100 PARTS BY WEIGHT TO A CONVERSION OF FROM ABOUT 70 TO 100% TO FORM A GRAFT OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID MONOMERIC MIXTURE ONTO SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL, AND DRYING THE RESULTING GRAFT POLYMER COMPOSITION TO REMOVE WATER AND SAID SWELLNG AGENT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES IN AQUEOUS MEDIA AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 25 TO 75*C. SUSPENSION POLYMERIZING A MONOMERIC MIXTURE COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 10 TO 50 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A POLYMERIZBLE VINYL NITRILE MONOMER AND FROM 90 TO 50 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A POLYMERIZABLE VINYL ARYL MONOMER IN THE PRESENCE OF FINELY DIVIDED PARTICLES OF A SUSPENSION POLYMERIZED VINYL HALIDE POLYMERIC MATERIAL, SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL HAVING BEEN SWOLLEN WITH FROM ABOUT 5 TO 30 PARTS BY WEIGHT BASED ON 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL OF AN ESSENTIALLY WATER INSOLUBLE ORGANIC SWELLING AGENT FOR SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL AND WHICH IS A GOOD SOLVENT FOR SAID MONOMERIC MIXTURE, SAID SWELLING AGENT HAVING A HIGH VAPOR PRESSURE, HAVING A MELTING POINT BELOW ABOUT 20* C. AND BEING SELECTED FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THE GROUP CNSISTING OF AN ALKYL KETONE, A HALOGENTAED ALKANE, AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, VINYL CHLORIDE, VINYL FLUORIDE AND VINYL BROMIDE, SAID VINYL CHLORIDE, VINYL FLUROIDE AND VINYL BROMIDE BEING USED IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO 10 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID VINYL HALIDE POLYMERIC MATERIAL, AND THE OTHER SWELLING AGENTS BEING USED IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 8 TO 30 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER 100 PERTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID VINYL HALIDE POLYMERIC MATERIAL, THE RATIO OF SAID MIXTURE TO SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL BEING FROM ABOUT 20:100 TO 100:100 PARTS BY WEIGHT TO A CONVERSION OF FROM ABOUT 70 TO 100% TO FORM A GRAFT OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID MONOMERIC MIXTURE ONTO SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL, AND DRYING THE RESULTING GRAFT POLYMER COMPOSITION TO REMOVE WATER AND SAID SWELLNG AGENT.