Low gel content ethylene copolymer/wax blends and process for preparation thereof

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS, HIGH- PRESSURE, FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION PROCESS FOR PREPARING ETHYLENE COPOLYMERS HAVING REDUCED GEL CONTENT COMPRISING A. INTRODUCING ETHYLENE AND AT LEAST ONE MONOMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VINYL ESTERS OF C1 TO C4 MONOBASIC ALIPHATIC ACIDS, ACRYLATES AND METHACRYLATES WHEREIN THE ALCOHOL MOIETY IS DERIVED FROM ALIPHATIC C1 TO C4 MONOLHYDROXY ALCOHOLS, ACRYLIC ACID, METHACRYLIC ACID, MALEIC ACID, AND MALEIC ANHYDRIDE, PROVIDED THAT AT LEAST 85 MOL PERCENT OF THE MONOMERS IS ETHYLENE AND SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF SAID VINYL ESTER, ACRYLATE OR METHACRYLATE MONOMER IS INTRODUCED TO YIELD AT LEAST ABOUT 5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF UNITS DERIVED FROM SAID MONOMER IN THE RESULTING COPOLYMER, AND AN INITIATOR INTO THE REACTOR, B. MAINTAINING SAID MONOMERS AND INITIATOR IN CONTACT IN SAID REACTOR AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100*C. -250*C. AND A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 1,000-2,500 ATMOSPHERES UNTIL THE DESIRED EXTENT OF CONVERSION TO ETHYLENE COPOLYMERS HAS BEEN OBTAINED, C. REMOVING THE REACTION MIXTURE FROM SAID REACTOR, D. REDUCING THE PRESSURE BY FIRST PRESSURE LET-DOWN MEANS SUCH THAT THE REACTION MIXTURE ENTERS A FIRST SEPARATOR AT ABOUT 100-400 ATMOSPHERES, E. SEPARATING OUT FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST SEPARATOR ABOUT 90-97 PERCENT OF THE UNREACTED MONOMERS, F. FURTHER REDUCING THE PRESSURE BY SECOND PRESSURE LET-DOWN MEANS SUCH THAT THE REACTION MIXTURE ENTERS A SECOND SEPARATOR AT ABOUT 0-5 ATMOSPHERES, AND G. SEPARATING OUT FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID SECOND SEPARATOR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE REMAINING ABOUT 3-10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF UNREACTED MONOMERS, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE IN-LINE ADDITION OF ABOUT 5-50 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE COPOLYMER AND WAX, OF MOLTEN PETROLEIUM, POLYETHYLENE OR FISCHER-TOROPSCH WAX TO SAID ETHYLENE COPOLYMER REACTION MIXTURE AFTER THE PRESSURE HAS BEEN REDUCED TO BELOW ABOUT 250 ATOMOSPHERES AND AFTER AT LEAST ABOUT 90 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, BUT NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 97 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, OF THE UNREACTED MONOMERS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED OUT FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE.