Ion-exchange fibers, films and the like from sulfur containing alkoxymethyl monomers

Claim 1

AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A FIBER COMPRISING A CROSS-LINKED PRODUCT OF MOLECULES OF A LINEAR ADDITION COPOLYMER CONTAINING (A) 1/2 TO 50 MOLE PERCENT OF UNITS OF A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKOXYMETHYL VINYL SULFIDES, ALKOXYMETHYLTHIOETHYL ACRYLATES, ALKOXYMETHYLTHIOETHYL METHACRYLATES, AND ALKOXYMETHYLTHIOETHYL ITACONATES, IN WHICH THE ALKOXYMETHYL GROUP IS OF THE FORMULA-R''RO" WHEREIN R'' IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF -CH2-, -CH(CH3)-, AND -C(CH3)2-, AND R" IS AN ALKYL GROUP, (B) ABOUT 7 TO 99.5 MOLE PERCENT OF UNITS DERIVED FROM NONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED MOLECULES AND CONTAINING ION-EXCHANGE GROUPS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBOXYLIC ACID, SULFONIC ACID, THIOL, PHOSPHONIC ACID GROUPS AND METAL SALTS THEREOF, AMINE, AMINE SALT, QUATERNARY AMMONIUM AND SULFONIUM GROUPS, AND (C) ZERO TO 43 MOLE PERCENT OF UNITS OF ANY OTHER MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED COMPOUND COPOLYMERIZABLE THEREWITH, THE TOTAL OF UNITS OF THE CLASSES (A), (B), AND (C) ABOVE IN THE LINEAR COPOLYMER AMOUNTING TO 100 MOLE PERCENT, SAID LINEAR COPOLYMER MOLECULES BEING CROSS-LINKED IN SAID PRODUCT BY DISULFIDE LINKAGES FORMED BY HYDROLYSIS AND OXIDATION OF AT LEAST ONE-HALF MOLE PERCENT OF THE (A) UNITS.