PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF NUCLEUS-HYDROGENATED AROMATIC VINYL /(METH)ACRYLATE COPOLYMERS

摘要

A process for the production of hydrogenated polymers by hydrogenating aromatic rings of aromatic vinyl/ (meth)acrylate copolymers, which comprises conducting repeatedly one or more times the operation consisting of the step (1) of adding a solution of an aromatic vinyl/(meth)acrylate copolymer in a solvent to a reactor filled with a solvent and a supported palladium catalyst in a hydrogen atmosphere at a rate of 0.01 to 15g/h in terms of the copolymer per unit mass (g) of the supported palladium catalyst to hydrogenate the copolymer and the step (2) of recovering a hydrogenated polymer from 30 to 90% by mass of the obtained reaction mixture, either leaving the residue of the reaction mixture in the reactor or returning it to the reactor, and adding a fresh solution of the copolymer in a solvent to the resulting reactor at a rate of 0.01 to 15g/h in terms of the copolymer per unit mass (g) of the supported palladium catalyst to hydrogenate the copolymer and by which hydrogenated polymers having high transparency can be produced safely and stably.