Carboxy copolymers prepared in carboxylic acids and/or anhydrides

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A CARBOXY COPOLYMER SOLUTION DEVOID OF SOLVENT BOILING BELOW 150*C. AND CAPABLE OF BEING READILY CROSS-LINKED WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 60*C. TO ABOUT 150*., A SOLUTION COMPRISING (A) AN A,B-ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN FOUR CARBON ATOMS, (B) A DIFFERENT MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER COPOLYMERIZABLE WITH SAID (A), AND (C) AS THE SOLE POLYMERIZATION SOLVENT, A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A CARBOXYLIC ACID, A CARBOXYLIC ACID ANHYDRIDE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, SAID (C) (1) BEING A SOLVENT FOR AND NON-REACTIVE WITH SAID (A), SAID (B) AND SAID CARBOXY COPOLYMER UNDER THE POLYERIZATION CONDITIONS USED, (2) BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIET TO DISSOLVE SAID (A), SAID (B) AND SAID CARBOXY COPOLYMER, (3) BEING SATURATED OR CONTAINING UNSATURATION WHICH IS NON-REACTIVE UNDER THE POLYMERIZATION CONDITIONS USED, (4) HAVING A MELTING POINT BELOW THE POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE, (5) HAVING A BOILING POINT OF AT LEAST 150*C., (6) HAVING A VISCOSITY NOT EXCEEDING 130 CENTIPOISES AT THE POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE, AND (7) BEING CAPABLE OF ENTERING THE CURING REACTION WHEN SAID CARBOXY COPOLYMER IS CURED.