Nonrandom copolymers of ethylene and unsaturated acid

摘要

Compositionally uniform but nonrandom copolymers of ethylene and alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms are provided having an acid content of from about 6 to about 35 weight percent, a melt index of from about 0.1 to about 800, and a ratio of weight percent adjacent acid to weight percent total acid in the copolymer of from about 0.44 to about 1.0. These copolymers have improved physical properties such as hardness, stiffness, heat resistance and creep resistance. Further provided, is a process for preparing these copolymers in a constant environment stirred autoclave in a continuous manner wherein the reaction zone is maintained in a steady state at a pressure of from 0 to about 500 psi above, and at a temperature of from 0 DEG to about 15 DEG C. above that needed to maintain a single phase reaction mixture at a given concentration of copolymer and at the given acid comonomer content of the copolymer.