GB703005A - Emulsion copolymerization of vinyl monomers and mono-esters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids - Google Patents

Abstract

A polymerizable organic monomer having within its structure the group H2C=C<, excluding substituted styrenes, is reacted with a monoester of an alpha, beta-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, an emulsifying agent and water, to produce an aqueous emulsion of the copolymer. The monomer may be vinyl acetate, an acrylate or methacrylate, styrene or vinylidene chloride and the mono-ester may be formed by the reaction of maleic, fumaric, itaconic, citraconic or chlormaleic acid with methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, lauryl, benzyl, chlorethyl or cyanoethyl alcohol, or a glycol. Catalysts specified are benzoyl and hydrogen peroxides, tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and ammonium and potassium persulphates, which may be activated with compounds of vanadium, chromium, iron or copper, such as potassium dichromate, ferrous sulphate, ferric chloride and chromium nitrate, or with sodium or potassium bisulphite or thioglycollic acid. The emulsifying agent may be polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, raw or partially converted starch, a styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer or the sodium salt of alkyl aryl polyether sulphonate, which may be used with the addition of wetting agents such as the dioctyl ester of sodium sulphosuccinic acid, sodium lauryl sulphate, sulphated fatty esters, polyethylene glycol dioleate, cholesterol, sodium salt of condensed alkyl aryl sulphonic acid, monooleate of sorbitan polyoxyethylene, and sorbiton monopalmitate. Calcium carbonate may be added to maintain pH near neutral and sodium carbonate may be added as a buffer when using thioclycollic acid as activator. The copolymer emulsions may be used as adhesives and as coating materials. Specifications 593,519, 688,291, [Group IV (b)], 691,364 and 697,604 are referred to.