Claims
- 1. A process for producing polymers of vinyl and vinylidene halides and copolymers thereof with each other or either with one or more vinylidene monomers having at least one terminal CH.sub.2 .dbd.C< grouping comprising forming a monomer premix containing the monomer or monomers to be polymerized, the aqueous reaction medium, from about 0.01% to about 0.5% by weight of a free radical yielding catalyst based on the weight of 100 parts of monomer or monomers being polymerized, said catalyst being free of alkali metals, an ammonium salt of a saturated fatty acid containing from 8 to 20 carbon atoms, and at least one long straight chain saturated alcohol containing from 14 to 24 carbon atoms, and wherein the ratio of alcohol to fatty acid is greater than 1.0, homogenizing said premix at a temperature below the reactivity of the catalyst or catalysts employed, passing said homogenized premix to a reaction zone, emulsion polymerizing said homogenized premix in said zone at a temperature in the range of about 30.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C., maintaining the pH in the reaction zone in the range of 7.0 to about 12.0 until the reaction is complete, and thereafter recovering the polymer or copolymer, whereby polymer build-up in said reaction zone is substantially reduced.
- 2. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the ammonium salt is ammonium laurate.
- 3. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the monomer in the premix is vinyl chloride.
- 4. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the ammonium salt is formed in situ in the monomer premix by adding to the premix the fatty acid and an excess over the equimolar amount of ammonium hydroxide.
- 5. A process as defined in claim 4 wherein the fatty acid is lauric acid.
- 6. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is tert-butyl peroxypivalate.
- 7. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the long chain saturated alcohol is one containing 16 carbon atoms.
- 8. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the ammonium salt is ammonium stearate.
- 9. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is lauroyl peroxide.
- 10. A process as defined in claim 5 wherein the monomer in the premix is vinyl chloride.
- 11. A process as defined in claim 10 wherein the catalyst is tert-butyl peroxypivalate.
- 12. A process as defined in claim 11 wherein the pH in the reaction zone is in the range of about 8.0 to about 10.5.
- 13. A process as defined in claim 12 wherein the temperature in the homogenizing step is 25.degree. C.
- 14. A process as defined in claim 13 wherein the temperature in the reaction zone is 45.degree. C.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 737,951, filed Nov. 2, 1976 now abandoned, which in turn is a continuation application of our application Ser. No. 592,183, filed July 1, 1975, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
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Date |
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2674585 |
Condo et al. |
Apr 1954 |
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2957858 |
O'Donnell |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
592183 |
Jul 1975 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
737951 |
Nov 1976 |
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