Method for emulsifying polymerizable compounds and effecting polymerization with the emulsions

Claim 1

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES FORMING WITH AGITATION A UNIFORM MIXTURE OF A SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE POLYMERIZABLE MONO-ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED LIQUID MONOMER WITH ABOUT 0.05 TO 0.4 PER CENT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF MONOMER, OF AN ANIONIC EMULSIFIER, DISSOLVED IN SUFFICIENT WATER TO FORM A 5 TO 60 PER CENT SOLUTION OF THE EMULSIFIER, THE EMULSIFIER BEING ONE WHICH IS CAPABLE OF FORMING WATER-IN-MONOMER EMULSIONS AND WHICH IS INCAPABLE AT ANY CONCENTRATION OF MAINTAINING POLYMER SOLIDS IN NONFOAMING DISPERSIONS AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM SALTS OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON SULPHONIC ACIDS, OF DECYL BENZENE SULPHONIC ACIDS, OF LAURYL SULPHURIC ACID AND OF DIHEXYL ESTERS OF SULPHOSUCCINIC ACID; DISCONTINUING AGITATION WHEN A WATER-IN-MONOMER EMULSION HAS FORMED; ADDING TO THE QUIESCENT EMULSION SUFFICIENT WATER CONTAINING ABOUT 0.5 TO 8 PER CENT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF MONOMER, OF AN EMULSIFER, OF A DIFFERENT TYPE FROM THE FIRST, WHICH IS A POOR DISPERSANT FOR LIQUID MONOMERS BUT IS CAPABLE OF DISPERSING POLYMER SOLIDS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT FOAMING AND IS SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM SALTS OF ALKYL SULPHONIC ACIDS, OF ALKYL NAPHTHALENE SULPHONIC ACIDS, AND OF FORMALDEHYDE CONDENSATION PRODUCTS OF NAPHTHALENE SULPHONIC ACIDS, SO THAT UPON SUBSEQUENT, VIGOROUS AGITATION, AN AQUEOUS EMULSION IS FORMED WHEREIN WATER IS THE CONTINUOUS PHASE; AGITATING THE MIXTURE TO FORM A MONOMER-IN-WATER EMULSION; AND SUBJECTING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS EMULSION TO POLYMERIZING CONDITIONS TO CONVERT THE LIQUID MONOMER TO SOLID POLYMER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES FORMING WITH AGITATION A UNIFORM MIXTURE OF A SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE POLYMERIZABLE MONO-ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED LIQUID MONOMER WITH ABOUT 0.05 TO 0.4 PER CENT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF MONOMER, OF AN ANIONIC EMULSIFIER, DISSOLVED IN SUFFICIENT WATER TO FORM A 5 TO 60 PER CENT SOLUTION OF THE EMULSIFIER, THE EMULSIFIER BEING ONE WHICH IS CAPABLE OF FORMING WATER-IN-MONOMER EMULSIONS AND WHICH IS INCAPABLE AT ANY CONCENTRATION OF MAINTAINING POLYMER SOLIDS IN NONFOAMING DISPERSIONS AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM SALTS OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON SULPHONIC ACIDS, OF DECYL BENZENE SULPHONIC ACIDS, OF LAURYL SULPHURIC ACID AND OF DIHEXYL ESTERS OF SULPHOSUCCINIC ACID; DISCONTINUING AGITATION WHEN A WATER-IN-MONOMER EMULSION HAS FORMED; ADDING TO THE QUIESCENT EMULSION SUFFICIENT WATER CONTAINING ABOUT 0.5 TO 8 PER CENT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF MONOMER, OF AN EMULSIFER, OF A DIFFERENT TYPE FROM THE FIRST, WHICH IS A POOR DISPERSANT FOR LIQUID MONOMERS BUT IS CAPABLE OF DISPERSING POLYMER SOLIDS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT FOAMING AND IS SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SODIUM SALTS OF ALKYL SULPHONIC ACIDS, OF ALKYL NAPHTHALENE SULPHONIC ACIDS, AND OF FORMALDEHYDE CONDENSATION PRODUCTS OF NAPHTHALENE SULPHONIC ACIDS, SO THAT UPON SUBSEQUENT, VIGOROUS AGITATION, AN AQUEOUS EMULSION IS FORMED WHEREIN WATER IS THE CONTINUOUS PHASE; AGITATING THE MIXTURE TO FORM A MONOMER-IN-WATER EMULSION; AND SUBJECTING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS EMULSION TO POLYMERIZING CONDITIONS TO CONVERT THE LIQUID MONOMER TO SOLID POLYMER.