Preparation of aluminum ionomers of carboxylic acid copolymers

Claim 1

A process for neutralizing with aluminum ion the carboxylic acid groups of a copolymer containing 30 to 95 weight percent units derived from an alpha-olefin containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms, at least 25 weight percent of which is ethylene, 1 to 25 weight percent units derived from an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid containing from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and from 0 to 60 weight percent derived from a softening comonomer which is a vinyl ester of a carboxylic acid containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkyl vinyl ether wherein the alkyl group contains from 1 to 10 carbon atoms or alkyl acrylates or methacrylates wherein the alkyl group contains from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, comprising melting the copolymer and mixing therewith an aluminum compound of the formula ##STR4## where m is 0-2 and n is 1-3, adding a volatile organic acid substantially in the absence of water to the mixture whereby the aluminum compound reacts with the carboxylic acid groups of the copolymer, and removing the volatile organic acid by volatilization.