Emulsion polymerization process using soluble and insoluble emulsifiers

Claim 1

THE PROCESS COMPRISING INITIATING A POLYMERIZATION OF MONOMER CONSISTING OF FROM 70 TO 100% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE VINYL MONOMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VINYL CHLORIDE, VINYLIDENE CHLORIDE, VINYL ACETATE, METHYL METHACRYLATE AND STYRENE AND FROM 0 TO 30% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER MONOOLEFINICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER COPOLYMERIZABLE WITH SAID VINYL MONOMER IN AN AQUEOUS EMULSION SYSTEM, IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM IN ADMIXTURE WITH A FREE-RADICAL CATALYST AND AT LEAST ONE INSOLUBLE SOAP HAVING THE STRUCTURE (A-COO)NM WHEREIN A IS AN ALKYL GROUP HAVING FROM 7 TO 21 CARBON ATOMS, M IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LITHIUM, BARIUM, CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, CADMIUM, ZINC, TIN AND ALUMINUM AND N IS A WHOLE NUMBER EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF M, AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADDING, DURING THE COURSE OF THE POLYMREIZATION AND AT SOME FINITE DEGREE OF CONVERSION WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO AT LEAST ABOUT A 1% CONVERSION OF MONOMER TO POLYMER, FROM ABOUT 2 TO 50% BY WEIGHT OF A CONTROLLED EXCESS OF A SOLUBLE EMULSIFIER OVER THE AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO STABILIZE THE EXISTING POLYMER PARTICLES, THEREBY CAUSING THE NUCLEATION OF NEW POLYMER PARTICLES AND THE PRODUCTION OF A STABLE POLYMER EMULSION OF AT LEAST TWO FAMILIES OF POLYMER PARTICLES, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS COMPOSED OF PARTICLES OF UNIFORM SIZE.