Conjoint halogenation technique

Claim 1

CONJOINT HALOGENATION TECHNIQUE FOR NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBON POLYOLEFINS WHICH CONSIST ESSENTIALLY OF A TWO STEP PROCESS FOR HALOGENATING POLYOLEFIN POLYMERS OF NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBON MONOOLEFINS OF FROM 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS TO A DESIRED COMBINED HALOGEN CONTENT: ONE OF WHICH STEPS CONSISTS OF DIRECTLY HALOGENATING SAID POLYOLEFIN TO DERIVE A PORTION OF ITS TOTAL COMBINED HALOGEN CONTENT, SAID DIRECT HALOGENTION STEP BEING PERFORMED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -20* C. AND THE SINTERING TEMPERATURE OF THE POLYMER BY SUBJECTING THE OLEFIN POLYMER AS A POWDER MASS OF FINELY DIVIDED, FREE-FLOWING SOLIDS PARTICLES TO A GASEOUS HALOGEN ATMOSPHERE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THOSE COMPRISED OF FLUORINE, CHLORINE, VAPORIZED BROMINE, MIXTURES THEREOF AND MIXTURES OF CHLORINE AND SULFUR DIOXIDE IN SAID TEMPERATURE RANGE; THE OTHER STEP CONSISTING OF SOLUTION HALOGENATING SAID POLYOLEFIN TO DERIVE THE REMAINING PORTION OF ITS TOTAL COMBINED HALOGEN CONTENT, SAID SOLUTION HALOGENATION STEP BEING PERFORMED BY SUBJECTING SAID POLYOLEFIN TO THE ACTION OF A HALOGENATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHLORINE, BROMINE, MIXTURES THEREOF AND MIXTURES OF CHLORINE AND SULFUR DIOXIDE AT A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS AT LEAST ABOUT THAT REQUIRED FOR THE SOLVENT LIQUID TO DISSOLVE ABOUT 1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF SAID POLYOLEFIN AND WHICH IS NOT IN EXCESS OF THAT AT WHICH SUBSTANTIAL DELETERIOUS DEHYDROHALOGENATION OF THE POLYMER OCCURS WHILE SAID POLYOLEFIN IS DISSOLVED IN A SOLVEN LIQUID THEREFOR WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INERT TO SAID HALOGENATING AGENT.