Uniform hydrolysis catalyst addition to ethylene-vinyl ester polymers

摘要

Process for the production of partially-hydrolyzed ethylene-vinyl ester interpolymers by the controlled alcoholysis of the base resins, in which discoloration of the hydrolyzed products is suppressed by the rapid addition of the alcoholysis catalyst to the reaction medium. In reactions carried out over periods of from 0.5 to 200 minutes, the catalyst is thus added to the medium within periods of from 0.1 to 20 minutes at substantially uniform rates varying by no more than +/-25% over the period of addition. Substantially colorless hydrolyzed resins of particular application for packaging films are thereby produced.