Method of processing low molecular weight EPM and EPDM polymers

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the monomer reacted with the polymer to provide quaternary salt forming groups comprises an organic monomer containing tertiary amine groups.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2 in which the reaction to provide the polymer with quaternary salt forming groups is carried out by grafting the monomer onto the polymer.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2 in which the monomer reacted with the polymer to provide the quaternary salt forming group on the polymer is a dialkyl amino acrylate, a dialkyl amino methacrylate or acrylamide capable of reacting to provide tertiary amine groups on the polymer.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the monomer reacted with the polymer is selected from the group consisting of dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate, diethylaminoethyl acrylate and diethylaminoethyl methacrylate.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the components are reacted in the ratio of 0.5 to 10 millimoles of tertiary amine groups per 100 grams of polymer.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the components are reacted in the ratio of 0.75 to 7.5 millimoles of tertiary amine groups per 100 grams of polymer.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the monomer is reacted in the amount of 0.1 to 5.0 percent by weight of the polymer.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the monomer is reacted in the amount of less than 1.5 percent by weight of the polymer.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the cross linking agent comprises an unsaturated active halogen compound in which the unsaturated group is a polymerizable group.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the unsaturated active halogen compound is a dihalogen compound having two halogen groups in conjugated relation to a carbonyl group.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the cross linking agent is selected from the group consisting of dichloroxylene, dibromoxylene, dibromobutene-2, and dichlorobutene-2.

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the cross linking agent is reacted in the ratio of 0.25 to 5.0 moles of halogen per mole of monomer capable of providing a quaternary salt forming group.

Claim 15

A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the cross linking agent is reacted in an amount within the range of 0.05 to 4.0 percent by weight of grafted polymer.

Claim 16

A method as claimed in claim 1, which includes the step of reacting the polymer with a compound that contributes functional polar groups to the polymer.

Claim 17

A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the compound is reacted with the polymer before reaction of the polymer with the monomer capable of forming quaternary salt forming groups.

Claim 18

A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the compound is reacted with the polymer after reaction of the polymer with a monomer capable of forming quaternary salt forming groups.

Claim 19

A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the compound is selected with the polymer simultaneously with the monomer capable of forming quaternary salt forming groups.

Claim 20

A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the compound is selected from the group consisting of N-vinylpyrrolidone and N-vinylpyridine.

Claim 21

A method as claimed in claim 15, in which the compound is selected from the group consisting of B-methyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 4-methyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 5-methyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 3-ethyl-1-vinylpyrollidone, 3-butyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 3,3-dimethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 4,5-dimethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 4,5-dimethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 3,3,5-trimethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 4-ethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 5-methyl-5-ethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, 3,4,5-trimethyl-3-ethyl-1-vinylpyrrolidone, and other lower alkyl substituted N-vinylpyrrolidones, N-vinylbenzyldimethylamine, N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide and methacrylamide, N-methacrylioxyethylpyrrolidone, N-methacryloxyethylmorpholinone, N-methacryloxyethylmorpholine, N-maleimide of dimethylaminopropylamine, and the N-methacrylamide of aminoethyethylneurea.

Claim 22

A method as claimed in claim 15 in which the compound is reacted in the ratio of 1 to 5 parts by weight of the compound per one part by weight polymer.

Claim 23

A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the monomer reacted to the polymer is selected from the group consisting of vinylbenzyl chloride, 5-chloroacetoxy-methyl-2-norbornene, dibromobutane-2, and dichlorobutene-2.

Claim 24

A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the cross-linking agent is a ditertiary amine selected from the group consisting of: bis(dimethylamino)methane 1,6-bis(dimethylamino)hexane N,N'-bis(diethylaminoethyl)analine 4,4-bis(diethylamino)benzophenone 1,4-bis(diethylamino)butene-2 4,4'-bis-diethylaminophenylcarbinol 4,4'-bis(diethylamino)diphenyl silane 1,2-bis(diethylamino)ethane N,N-bis(diethylamino ethyl)1,3-diaminopropane 2,6-bis(diethylamino)purine

Claim 25

A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the functional groups of the difunctional cross linking agent are tertiary amine groups and the monomer is an active polymerizable halide.

Claim 26

A method as claimed in claim 15 in which the compound is a vinyl pyrrolidone or a vinyl pyridine.

Claim 27

A method as claimed in claim 25 in which the vinyl pyrrolidone or vinyl pyridine is selected from the group consisting of N-vinyl, 2-vinyl and 5-vinyl pyrrolidone or pyridine.