Method of preparing stable copolymers of ethylene and at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and the product obtained thereby

Abstract

Abstract A METHOD OF MAKING A COPOLYMER OF ETHYLENE AND AT LEAST ONE ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FIRST THERMALLY DECOMPOSING THE ESTER MOIETIES OF A COPOLYMER OF ETHYLENE AND THE ISOPROPYL ESTER OF AT LEAST ONE ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID AND THEREAFTER CONTACTING THE THERMALLY DECOMPOSED COPOLYMER WITH A DIAMINE. THE RESULTING ETHYLENE-CARBOXYLIC ACID COPOLYMER EXHIBITS A STORAGE STABLE MELT INDEX. THE DIAMINE CONTACTING MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH EITHER AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SUITABLE DIAMINE OR A VAPOR THEREOF. WHEN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION IS EMPLOYED, THE CONTACTING WILL GENERALLY BE ACCOMPLISHED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 0 AND 50*C. WHILE A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 20 AND 100*C. WILL BE USED FOR VAPOR PHASE CONTACTING. THE CONTACTING TIME IS, GENERALLY, SHORT AND THE COPOLYMER PRODUCT WILL CONTAIN LESS THAN 5000 P.P.M. BY WEIGHT DIAMINE, PREFERABLY LESS THAN 1000 P.P.M. AND MOST PREFERABLY LESS THAN 100 P.P.M.

Inventors

• 👤 J Jones
• 👤 B Clampitt
• 👤 R Henry

Bibliographic Details