Process for preparing terpolymers containing oxazoline units

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A POLYMERIC COMPOSITION OF IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY COMPRISING REACTING A COPPOYMER PREPARED BY THE POLYMERIZATION OF A MONOMERIC MIXTURE COMPRISING (A) 20-85% BY WEIGHT OF A VINYL AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, (B) 1-15% BY WEIGHT OF AN UNSATURATED ACID SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC, METHACRYLIC, MALEIC, FUMARIC, ITACONIC AND TETRAHYDROPHTHALIC ACIDS AND THE MONOAMIDE AND THE ALKYL MONOESTER DERIVATIVES OF MALEIC, FUMARIC, ITACONIC AND TETRAHYDROPHTHALIC ACIDS, AND (C) 10-75% OF AN UNSATURATED ESTER SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ACRYLATES, METHACRYLATES, MALEATES, FUMARATES, ITACONATES AND TETRAHYDROPHTHALATES; THE ESTER GROUP IN EACH OF THE AFORESAID MONOESTERS AND DIESTERS BEING AN ALKYL GROUP HAVING NO MORE THAN 10 CARBON ATOMS THEREIN, AND IN SAID ACRYLATES AND METHACRYLATES, SAID ALKYL ESTER GROUP HAVING AT LEAST 4 CARBON ATOMS THEREIN; UNDER CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR REMOVAL OF WATER OF CONDENSATION RESULTING FROM AMIDIFICATION WITH AN AMINO-HYDROXY COMPOUND HAVING ONE AMINO GROUP AND AT LEAST ONE AND NO MORE THAN THREE HYDROXY GROUPS THEREIN, SAID AMINO GROUP HAVING AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN ATOM ATTACHED TO THE NITROGEN, EACH SAID HYDROXY GROUP OF SAID AMINO-HYDROXY COMPOUND BEING AT LEAST 2 CARBON ATOMS REMOVED FROM SAID AMINO GROUP AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HYDROXY GROUPS BEING EXACTLY 2 CARBON ATOMS REMOVED FROM SAID AMINO GROUP; SAID AMINO HYDROXY COMPOUND HAVING AN ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON NUCLEUS WITH NO MORE THAN 10 CARBON ATOMS THEREIN AND WITH NO SUBSTITUENT GROUPS THEREON OTHER THAN SAID AMINO AND SAID HYDROXY GROUPS, AND SAID REACTION BEING CONDUCTED UNTIL THE PROPORTION OF AMIDE GROUPS ATTACHED BY SAID REACTION REPRESENTS AT LEAST 1% BY WEIGHT OF THE RESULTANT COPOLYMER; AND CONTINUING SAID REACTION UNTIL AT LEAST ABOUT 0.25 MOLAR EQUIVALENT OF WATER PER MOLAR EQUIVALENT OF AMIDE GROUPS IN SAID COPOLYMER HAS BEEN REMOVED, THEREBY TO FORM OXAZOLINO RINGS FROM SAID AMIDE GROUPS.