Acrylonitrile polymers and process for making the same

摘要

Acrylonitrile polymers are made by polymerizing a monomeric composition containing at least 70 per cent of acrylonitrile in the presence as a polymerization regulator of from 0.1 to 2 per cent of an unsaturated dimer of a monomeric alpha-methyl styrene having the formula: wherein X and Y are the same or different, and each represents a hydrogen or halogen atom, or a lower alkyl radical of not more than 3 carbon atoms, such as alpha-methyl styrene and its para-methyl, meta-methyl, para-ethyl, para-isopropyl, dimethyl, chloro, 3,4-dichloro, chloro methyl, diethyl, and isopropyl methyl nuclear derivatives. Copolymerizable mono-mers which may be present are vinyl and vinylidene chlorides, styrene, methyl styrene, alphamethyl styrene, para - methyl - alpha - methyl styrene, vinyl naphthalene, methyl isopropenyl ketone, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, methacrylonitrile, and vinyl acetate. Polymerization may be carried out in bulk or aqueous emulsion, with an emulsifier such as the dihexyl ester of sodium sulphosuccinic acid, and catalysts such as benzoyl peroxide, acetylbenzoyl peroxide, ditertiary-butyl peroxide, tert.-butyl hydroperoxide, tert.-butyl perbenzoate, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonium and potassium persulphates.