Process for preparing graft copolymers from linear amorphous non-crystallizable polymers of alpha-olefins or copolymers of alpha-olefins with each other and/or ethylene

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING GRAFT COPOLYMERS OF A LINEAR, AMORPHOUS POLYMERIC MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HOMOPOLYMERS OF HIGHER ALPHA-OLEFINS, COPOLYMERS OF HIGHER ALPHA-OLEFINS WITH EACH OTHER AND COPOLYMERS OF HIGHER ALPHA-OLEFINS WITH ETHYLENE, WHICH COMPRISES (1) FORMING AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION OF SAID LINEAR, AMORPHOUS POLYMERIC MATERIAL, (2) SUBJECTING SAID AQUEOUS SUSPENSION TO THE ACTION OF A GAS CONTAINING MOLECULAR OXYGEN WHILE EMPLOYING A PRESSURE ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC BUT BELOW 20 ATMOSPHERES AND A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 40* AND 200*C. FOR A TIME LESS THAN FIVE HOURS IN THE ABSENCE OF PEROXIDE COMPOUND INITIATOR, THEREBY PEROXIDIZING SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL, AND (3) POLYMERIZING A MONOMER, WHICH POLYMERIZES BY A FREE-RADICAL MECHANISM, ONTO THE LINEAR CHAINS OF SAID PEROXIDIZED LINEAR, AMORPHOUS POLYMERIC MATERIAL.