Graft copolymer pressure-sensitive adhesives

Claim 1

GRAFT COPOLYMERS FOR USE AS POLYMERIC PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE CONSISTING OF (2) FROM 5 TO 35% BY WEIGHT OF A GRAFT BASE SOLUBLE IN THE MONOMER COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (I) A COPOLYMER OF ABOUT 40 TO 60% BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER OF EHYLENE, 25 TO 60% BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER OF VINYL ACETATE AND 0 TO 10% BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER OF MONOMERS COPOLYMERS COPOLYMERIZABLE WITH ETHYLENE AND VINLY ACETATE, (II) SAID COPOLYMER WITH UP TO 10% BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER OF VINYL ALCOHOL UNITS DERIVED FROM VINYL ACETATE UNITS, (II) MIXTURES OF 25 TO 99.9% BY WEIGHT OF SAID COPOLYMER WITH FROM 0.1 TO 75% BY WEIGHT OF OTHER GRAFITABLE POLYMERS SOLUBLE IN THE MONOMER COMPONENT, AND (11) FROM 65 TO 95% BY WEIGHT OF A MONOMER MIXTURE GRAFTED TO SAID GRAFT BASE CONSISTING OF A (A) FROM 5 TO 60% BY WEIGHT OF SAID MIXTURE OF VINYL ESTERS OF ALKANOIC ACIDS HAVING 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, (B) FROM 40 TO 95 BY WEIGHT OF SAID MIXTURE OF MONOMERS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VINYL ESTERS OF ALKANOIC ACIDS HAVING 6 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, ESTERS OF A.BALKENOIC ACIDS HAVING 3 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS WITH ALKANOLS HAVING 3 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, ESTERS OF ALKENEDIOIC ACIDS HAVING 4 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS WITH ALKANOLS HAVING 3 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AND (C) FROM 0 TO 20% BY WEIGHT OF OTHER OLEFINICALLY-UNSATURATED COMPOUNDS COPOLYMERIZABLE WITH SAID CMPONENTS (A) AND (B).

Claim 6

A method for the production of graft copolymers for use as polymeric pressure-sensitive adhesives which consists essentially of (I) dissolving from 5 to 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the solution, of a graft base soluble in the monomer component selected from the group consisting of (i) a copolymer of 40 to 75% by weight of said copolymer of ethylene, 25 to 60% by weight of said copolymer of vinyl acetate and 0 to 10% by weight of said copolymer oF monomers copolymerizable with ethylene and vinyl acetate, (ii) said copolymer with up to 10% by weight of said copolymer of vinyl alcohol units derived from vinyl acetate units, (iii) mixtures of 25 to 99.9% by weight of said copolymer with from 0.1 to 75% by weight of other graftable polymers soluble in the monomer component, in from 65 to 95% by weight, based on the total weight of the solution, of a monomer mixture consisting of (a) from 5 to 60% by weight of said mixture of vinyl esters of alkanoic acids having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, (b) from 40 to 95% by weight of said mixture of monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters of alkanoic acids having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, esters of Alpha , Beta -alkenoic acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms with alkanols having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, esters of alkenedioic acids having 4 to 8 carbon atoms with alkanols having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, and (c) from 0 to 20% by weight of other olefinically-unsaturated compounds copolymerizable with said components (a) and (b), (II) adding from 0.02 to 4% by weight, based on said monomer mixture, of an oil-soluble free-radical-former polymerization catalyst, (III) polymerizing said solution at a temperature of from -20* to 150*C for a time sufficient to effect graft polymerization to give a product having a K-value of from 35 to 65 and (IV) recovering said graft copolymer.

Claim 7

A method for the production of graft copolymers for use as polymeric pressure-sensitive adhesives which consists essentially of (I) dissolving from 5 to 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the solution, of a graft base soluble in the monomer component selected from the group consisting of (i) a copolymer of 40 to 75% by weight of said copolymer of ethylene, 25 to 60% by weight of said copolymer of vinyl acetate and 0 to 10% by weight of said copolymer oF monomers copolymerizable with ethylene and vinyl acetate, (ii) said copolymer with up to 10% by weight of said copolymer of vinyl alcohol units derived from vinyl acetate units, (iii) mixtures of 25 to 99.9% by weight of said copolymer with from 0.1 to 75% by weight of other graftable polymers soluble in the monomer component, in from 65 to 95% by weight, based on the total weight of the solution, of a monomer mixture consisting of (a) from 5 to 60% by weight of said mixture of vinyl esters of alkanoic acids having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, (b) from 40 to 95% by weight of said mixture of monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters of alkanoic acids having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, esters of Alpha , Beta -alkenoic acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms with alkanols having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, esters of alkenedioic acids having 4 to 8 carbon atoms with alkanols having 3 to 18 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, and (c) from 0 to 20% by weight of other olefinically-unsaturated compounds copolymerizable with said components (a) and (b), (II) adding from 0.02 to 4% by weight, based on said monomer mixture, of an oil-soluble free-radical-former polymerization catalyst, (III) polymerizing said solution at a temperature of from -20* to 150*C for a time sufficient to effect graft polymerization to give a product having a K-value of from 35 to 65 and (IV) recovering said graft copolymer.