Process for the preparation of polyethylene emulsions

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF STABLE, HIGH SOLIDS CONTENT POLYETHYLENE EMULSIONS CONTAINING RELATIVELY SPHERICAL PARTICLES HAVING A DIAMETER FROM ABOUT 1200 A. TO 2500 A. WHEREIN AT LEAST 90% OF SAID PARTICLES ARE WITHIN A GIVEN PARTICLE SIZE RANGE OF 200 A. WHICH COMPRISES INITIATING THE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM AT PH 5 TO 12, SAID ETHYLENE BEING PRESENT IN THE AMOUNT OF 1 TO 2 PARTS PER PART OF WATER, IN THE PRESENCE OF A WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AND FROM ABOUT 0.1% TO 3.5%, BASED ON THE WATER IN THE INITIAL POLYMERIZATION MEDIUM, OF AN ANIONIC/NONIONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPOSITIONK CONTAINING 2%-50% OF AN ANIONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT AND 50% TO 98% OF A NONIONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT, SAID PERCENTAGES BEING BASED ON THE TOTAL EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPOSITION, AND DURING THE POLYMERIZATION PERIOD INTRODUCING AT LEAST INCREMENTALLY ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF AN AQUEOUS MIXTURE OF SAID ANIONIC/NONIONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPOSITION CONTAINING 10% TO 90% EMULSIFYING AGENT AT A RATE SUCH THAT THE PRODUCT EMULSION CONTAINS AT LEAST 5 WT. PERCENT ANIONIC/ NONIONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPOSITION BASED ON THE POLYETHYLENE AND LESS THAN THE AMOUNT OF EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPOSITION REQUIRED TO COAGULATE THE THEN FORMED POLYETHYLENE, SAID INITIAL AQUEOUS POLYMERIZATION MEDIUM HAVING A NORMALITY BASED ON INORGANIC ELECTROLYTE SALT PRESENT CALCULATED FROM THE FORMULA Y=KX1/2 WHEREIN X IS THE WEIGHT PERCENT CONCENTRATION OF SAID ANIONIC/NONIONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT COMPOSITION IN THE INITIAL POLYMERIZATION MEDIUM, K IS A NUMBER FROM 0.100 TO 0.125 AND Y IS THE NORMALITY OF THE AQUEOUS MEDIUM ON THE ABOVE INDICATED BASIS.