Process for producing solid chain-terminated polymers of ethylene and alkyl acrylates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SOLID CHAIN TERMINATED POLYMERS OF ETHYLENE AND A COPOLYMERIZABLE ALKYL ACRYLATE CONTAINING FROM 1 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYL RADICAL THEREOF, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES POLYMERIZING AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 100*C. TO ABOUT 350*C. AND UNDER A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 15,000 P.S.I. IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A FREE RADICAL CATALYST, A POLYMERIZABLE MIXTURE CONSISTING OF (A) ETHYLENE, (B) FROM 0.05 MOLE TO 1.5 MOLES OF SAID ALKYL ACRYLATE, PER 100 MOLES OF ETHYLENE, AND (C) A CHAIN TERMINATOR SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (I) A SATURATED ALIPHATIC KETONE CONTAINING FROM 3 TO 11 CARBON ATOMS AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM 0.05 TO 1 MOLE, PER 100 MOLES OF ETHYLENE, (II) A SATURATED ALKANOL CONTAINING FROM 1 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM 0.1 TO 2.5 MOLES, PER 100 MOLES OF ETHYLENE, AND (III) AN ALPHA OLEFIN CONTAINING FROM 3 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM 0.1 TO 3 MOLES, PER 100 MOLES OF ETHYLENE.