Thermally stable high nitrile resins and method for producing the same

Claim 2

A polymer composition stable toward thermal discoloration containing from about 0.1 to about 1.5 parts by weight of the reaction product of maleic anhydride and polyvinyl alcohol wherein said polymer is composed of 100 parts by weight of the polymerization product of the monomers A. at least 50% by weight of at least one nitrile having the structure ##STR9## wherein R is hydrogen, a lower alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen, and B. up to 50% by weight based on the combined weight of (A) and (B) of at least one member selected from the group consisting of

Claim 3

styrene, 2. an ester having the structure ##STR10## wherein R 1 is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen, and R 2 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms,

Claim 4

styrene, 2. an ester having the structure ##STR10## wherein R 1 is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a halogen, and R 2 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms,

Claim 5

an alpha-olefin having the structure ##STR11##

Claim 6

an alpha-olefin having the structure ##STR11##

Claim 7

wherein R' and R" are alkyl groups having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, 4. a vinyl ether selected from the group consisting of methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, the propyl vinyl ethers, and the butyl vinyl ethers, and 5. vinyl acetate, wherein said monomers are copolymerized in the presence of from 0 to 40 parts by weight of C. a rubbery polymer of a conjugated diene monomer selected from the group consisting of butadiene and isoprene and optionally at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, a nitrile monomer having the structure ##STR12## wherein R has the foregoing designation, and an ester having the structure ##STR13## wherein R 1 and R 2 have the foregoing designations, said rubbery polymer containing from 50 to 100% by weight of polymerized conjugated diene and from 0 to 50% by weight of comonomer.

Claim 8

wherein R' and R" are alkyl groups having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, 4. a vinyl ether selected from the group consisting of methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, the propyl vinyl ethers, and the butyl vinyl ethers, and 5. vinyl acetate, wherein said monomers are copolymerized in the presence of from 0 to 40 parts by weight of C. a rubbery polymer of a conjugated diene monomer selected from the group consisting of butadiene and isoprene and optionally at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, a nitrile monomer having the structure ##STR12## wherein R has the foregoing designation, and an ester having the structure ##STR13## wherein R 1 and R 2 have the foregoing designations, said rubbery polymer containing from 50 to 100% by weight of polymerized conjugated diene and from 0 to 50% by weight of comonomer.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 1 wherein (A) is acrylonitrile.

Claim 10

The composition of claim 2 wherein (B) is styrene.

Claim 11

The composition of claim 2 wherein (B) is methyl acrylate.

Claim 12

The composition of claim 2 wherein (C) is a copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 2 wherein (C) is a copolymer of butadiene and styrene.