Process for the manufacture of low molecular weight homo- and copolymers of vinyl esters

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMER FROM A PRESELECTED TOTAL AMOUNT OF (A) MONOMER CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 50 TO 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A VINYL ESTER MONOMER OF A MONOVALENT, SATURATED ALIPHATIC ACID OF 1 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS OR A VINYL ESTER MONOMER OF BENZOIC ACID OR A LOWER ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOIC ACID, AND (B) 0 TO 50 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A COMONOMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CROTONIC ACID, AN ESTER OF MALEIC ACID OR FUMARIC ACID AND A MONOHYDRIC, SATURATED ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL OR 1 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS, OR A COMBINATION THEREOF, WHICH COMPRISES (1) PREPOLYMERIZING IN A VESSEL 5 TO 50 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SAID TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONOMER OF SAID MONOMER AND COMONOMER AT A TEMPERATURE OF 40 TO 95*C. WITH A FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AND IN A 3 TO 8 CARBON SECONDARY ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL OR MIXTURE THEREOF WITH UP TO 50% BY WEIGHT WATER AS SOLVENT, THE SOLVENT BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF 1 TO 50% BY WEIGHT OF THE TOTAL SOLVENT-MONOMER MIXTURE, AND (2) ADDING THE REMAINDER OF SAID TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONOMER OR SAID MONOMER AND COMONOMER TO SAID VESSEL AND COMPLETING POLYMERIZATION OF THE TOTAL MONOMER ADDED TO SAID VESSEL IN THE INITIAL SOLVENT IN SAID VESSEL.