Latices of polymer particles comprising a core containing a vinyl polymer and a periphery containing a polymer having --CN groups

Claim 2

Latices of polymer particles in aqueous dispersion having a uniform diameter within the range of 0.2 to 2 μm and comprising a core selected from the group consisting of a vinyl homopolymer, and a vinyl copolymer, and a periphery formed of a copolymer having --CN groups.

Claim 3

Latices as claimed in claim 1 in which the core represents 50 to 90% by weight of the particle.

Claim 4

Latices as claimed in claim 1 in which the vinyl monomer of the polymer and copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene, methyl styrene, vinyl toluene, ethylvinyl benzene, alkylacrylates and methacrylates having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and in which the diene monomer is a diene.

Claim 5

Latices as claimed in claim 1 in which, the vinyl homopolymer, the vinyl copolymer and the vinyl-diene copolymer are cross-linked.

Claim 6

Latices as claimed in claim 1 in which the periphery represents 10 to 50% by weight of the particle.

Claim 7

Latices as claimed in claim 1 in which the periphery comprises a copolymer of a vinyl or diene monomer with a monomer containing --CN groups.

Claim 8

Latices are claimed in claim 6 in which the monomer containing --CN groups represents 20 to 45% by weight of the copolymer and is selected from monomers having the general formula ##STR3## in which R and R', which may be similar or different, represent an atom selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C 1 -- C 5 alkyl group and an aryl group.

Claim 9

Latices as claimed in claim 6 in which the monomer containing --CN groups is selected from the group consisting of acrylo, methacrylo, ethacrylo, crotyl or cinnamyl nitrile.

Claim 10

A method of preparing latices of polymers of claim 1 comprising polymerizing one or more vinyl monomers or a mixture of vinyl monomers containing less than 15% by weight diene monomer in aqueous emulsion in the presence of an initiator and at least one emulsifier to form the core and then polymerizing a mixture of a vinyl or diene monomer and a monomer containing --CN groups in aqueous emulsion in the presence of an initiator and at least one emulsifier, with continuous introduction of the monomers and emulsifiers to form the periphery.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which, in the preparation of the core polymer, the vinyl monomers are selected from the group consisting of styrene, methyl styrene, vinyl toluene, ethylvinyl benzene, C 1 -- C 10 alkylacrylates and methacrylates.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the diene monomers are selected from the group consisting of a butadiene.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which, in the preparation of the core polymer, a cross-linking vinyl monomer is added to the vinyl monomer or monomers or to the mixture of vinyl and diene monomers in a proportion ranging from 0.1 to 10% by weight of the monomers.

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the initiator is present in the ratio of 0.01 to 3% by weight of the monomer or monomers in preparation of the core polymer and in which the initiator is water soluble or yields water soluble radicals.

Claim 15

A method as claimed in claim 13, in which the initiator is selected from the group consisting of persulphate of ammonia or potassium, azo-nitriles, hydrogen peroxide, and redox systems.

Claim 16

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the emulsifier used in preparing the core polymer is an anionic emulsifier and is present in an amount within the range of 0.1 to 10% by weight of the monomer or monomers.

Claim 17

A method as claimed in claim 15 which includes a non-ionic emulsifier in addition to the anionic emulsifier.

Claim 18

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the vinyl or diene monomer used in preparing the peripheral copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene, methyl styrene, vinyl toluene, ethylvinyl benzene and C 1 -- C 10 alkylacrylates methacrylates, and a butadiene.

Claim 19

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the monomer containing --CN groups has the formula ##STR4## in which R and R', which may be the same or different, represent an atom selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C 1 -- C 5 alkyl group and an aryl group.

Claim 20

A method as claimed in claim 18 in which the monomer containing --CN groups is selected from the group consisting of acrylo, methacrylo, ethacrylo, crotyl and cinnamyl nitrile.

Claim 21

A method as claimed in claim 18 in which the monomer containing the --CN group is present in an amount within the range of 20 to 45% by weight of the mixture of monomers.

Claim 22

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the mixture of monomers used in preparing the peripheral copolymer represents 10 to 50% by weight of the total polymer.

Claim 23

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the initiator used in preparing the peripheral copolymer is water soluble or yields water soluble radicals and is selected from the group consisting of persulphates of ammonia or potassium, azo-nitriles, hydrogen peroxide and redox systems and in which the initiator may be the same or different from that used in preparing the core polymer.

Claim 24

A method as claimed in claim 22 in which the initiator is present in an amount within the range of 0.01 to 3% by weight of the monomers.

Claim 25

A method as claimed in claim 9 in which the emulsifier used in preparing the peripheral copolymer is anionic, and may be the same or different from that used in preparing the core polymer.

Claim 26

A method as claimed in claim 24 in which the emulsifier is introduced in an amount such that at any given moment the particle-covering ratio is less than 1.

Claim 27

A biological carrier for proteins comprising the latices of claim 1.

Claim 28

Latices as claimed in claim 1 in which the vinyl copolymer is a copolymer of two or more vinyl monomers or a copolymer of one or more vinyl monomers with less than 15% by weight of a diene monomer.