High solids chloroprene polymer latex

Claim 2

POLYMERIZING MONOMERS COMPRISING CHLOROPRENE CONTAINING UP TO 25 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF ANOTHER ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED ORGANIC MONOMER COPOLYMERIZABLE WITH CHLOROPRENE IN AN AQUEOUS EMULSION CONTAINING 60 TO 90 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF SAID MONONER, 100 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF WATER, AND SALTS OF CATIONS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METALSM AMMONIA AND MIXTURES THEREOF (A) FROM 0.15 TO 1.0 PARTS OF A FATTY ACID MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF UNPOLYMERZIED FATTY ACID, POLYMERIZED FATTY ACIDS AND MIXTURES THEREOF ((B) FROM 0.30 TO 4.0 PARTS OF A FORMALDEHYDE CONDENSATE OF A NAPHTHALENE SULFONIC ACID AND (C) FROM 1.4 TO 4.0 PARTS OF A ROSIN MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ROSINS, DISPROPORTIONATED ROSINS AND POLYMERIZED ROSINS UNTIL THE VISCOSITY OF THE POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE REACHES A PEAK VISCOSITY;

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH SOLIDS LATEXES HAVING GREATER THAN 55 PERECNT BY WEIGHT OF SOLIDS WHICH COMPRISES

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH SOLIDS LATEXES HAVING GREATER THAN 55 PERECNT BY WEIGHT OF SOLIDS WHICH COMPRISES

Claim 5

determining said peak viscosity has been reached;

Claim 6

determining said peak viscosity has been reached;

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the said salts are selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, ammonium salts and mixtures thereof.

Claim 8

determining said peak viscosity has been reached;

Claim 9

determining said peak viscosity has been reached;

Claim 10

polymerizing said aqueous emulsion until the viscosity of the polymerization mixture reaches a peak viscosity, 100 percent of the total water being present in said polymerization prior to said peak viscisoty;

Claim 11

polymerizing said aqueous emulsion until the viscosity of the polymerization mixture reaches a peak viscosity, 100 percent of the total water being present in said polymerization prior to said peak viscisoty;

Claim 12

DETERMINING SAID PEAK VISCOSITY HAS BEEN REACHED;

Claim 13

DETERMINING SAID PEAK VISCOSITY HAS BEEN REACHED;

Claim 14

determining said peak viscosity has been reached;

Claim 15

determining said peak viscosity has been reached;

Claim 16

continuing said polymerization until said viscosity at least begins to decline; and

Claim 17

continuing said polymerization until said viscosity at least begins to decline; and

Claim 18

The process of claim 2 wherein the said salts are at least 50 percent by weight potassium soaps.

Claim 19

continuing said polyemerization until said viscosity at least begins to decline; and

Claim 20

continuing said polyemerization until said viscosity at least begins to decline; and

Claim 21

CONTINUING SAID POLYMERIZATION UNTIL SAID VISCOSITY AT LEAST BEGINS TO DECLINE; AND

Claim 22

CONTINUING SAID POLYMERIZATION UNTIL SAID VISCOSITY AT LEAST BEGINS TO DECLINE; AND

Claim 23

ADDING THE REMAINING MONOMER AND CONTINUING POLYMERIZATION TO FORM A CHLOROPRENE POLYMER LATEX HAVIMG GREATER THAN 55 PERCENT SOLIDS BY WEIGHT; PROVIDED THE WEIGHT PARTS OF SAID (A) ARE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID FATTY ACID MEMBER, THE WEIGHT PARTS OF SAID (B) ARE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID SALT CALCULATED AS A SALT AND THE WEIGHT PARTS OF SAID (C) ARE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID ROSIN MEMBER WITH ALL OF THE WEIGHTS OF (A), (B) AND (C) BEING BASED ON 100 PARTS OF MONOMER CHARGED UP TO THE TIME OF SAID PEAK VISCOSITY.

Claim 24

ADDING THE REMAINING MONOMER AND CONTINUING POLYMERIZATION TO FORM A CHLOROPRENE POLYMER LATEX HAVIMG GREATER THAN 55 PERCENT SOLIDS BY WEIGHT; PROVIDED THE WEIGHT PARTS OF SAID (A) ARE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID FATTY ACID MEMBER, THE WEIGHT PARTS OF SAID (B) ARE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID SALT CALCULATED AS A SALT AND THE WEIGHT PARTS OF SAID (C) ARE BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF SAID ROSIN MEMBER WITH ALL OF THE WEIGHTS OF (A), (B) AND (C) BEING BASED ON 100 PARTS OF MONOMER CHARGED UP TO THE TIME OF SAID PEAK VISCOSITY.

Claim 25

adding the remaining monomer and continuing polymerization to to form a chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent solids by weight; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of said fatty acid member, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of said salt calculated as a salt and the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of said rosin member with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 26

adding the remaining monomer and continuing polymerization to to form a chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent solids by weight; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of said fatty acid member, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of said salt calculated as a salt and the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of said rosin member with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 27

The process of claim 1 wherein the said chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent by weight solids is used as a latex without isolation of the chloroprene polymer solids prior to use.

Claim 28

adding the remaining monomer and continuing polymerization to to form a chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent solids by weight; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of said fatty acid member, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of said salt calculated as a salt and the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of said rosin member with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 29

adding the remaining monomer and continuing polymerization to to form a chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent solids by weight; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of said fatty acid member, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of said salt calculated as a salt and the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of said rosin member with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 30

continuing said polymerization until said viscosity at least begins to decline; and

Claim 31

continuing said polymerization until said viscosity at least begins to decline; and

Claim 32

adding the remaining monomer and continuing polymerization to form a chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent solids by weight; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of said fatty acid member, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of said salt calculated as a salt and the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of said rosin member with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 33

adding the remaining monomer and continuing polymerization to form a chloroprene polymer latex having greater than 55 percent solids by weight; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of said fatty acid member, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of said salt calculated as a salt and the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of said rosin member with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 34

The process of claim 1 wherein the said chloroprene polymer latex is partially vulcanized prior to use as a latex.

Claim 35

The process of claim 1 wherein the viscosity of the polymerization mixture at the said peak viscosity prior to the monomer addition is at a viscosity of no greater than 300 centipoise Brookfield viscosity as measured with a No. 2 spindle at 45* C.

Claim 36

The process of claim 1 wherein the viscosity of the said high solids latex at the end of the polymerization is no greater than 300 centipoise Brookfield viscosity as measured with a No. 2 spindle at 25*C.

Claim 37

The process of claim 1 wherein the said fatty acid is a polymerized fatty acid.

Claim 38

The process of claim 1 wherein the said rosin member is a tall oil rosin.

Claim 39

The process of claim 1 wherein the said rosin member is a disproportionated rosin.

Claim 40

The process of claim 1 wherein the combined total of the said rosin member and the said fatty acid member is from 1.5 to 2.5 parts by Weight per 100 parts of total monomer used prior to terminating the polymerization.

Claim 41

The process of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the said rosin member to the said fatty acid member is at least 2.0 at the time of initial peak viscosity of (2).

Claim 42

The process of claim 1 wherein the said fatty acid member is at least 0.30 parts by weight per 100 parts of the monomer present at the time of initial peak viscosity of (1).

Claim 43

The process of claim 1 wherein the weight percent conversion at the time of terminating polymerization is at least 95 percent of the total monomer present during polymerization.

Claim 44

The process of claim 1 wherein the said salts at the time of the said peak polymerization is (a) from 0.4 to 0.8 parts of said fatty acid member (b) from 1.0 to 3.0 parts of said formaldehyde condensate and (c) from 1.8 to 3.0 parts of said rosin member with all parts being based on 100 parts of monomer present during the said peak viscosity.

Claim 45

The process of claim 1 wherein a dialkyl xanthogen sulfide is present as a polymerization chain transfer agent.

Claim 46

The process of claim 1 wherein the said high solids latex is produced essentially without stripping monomer at the end of polymerization.

Claim 47

The process according to claim 15 wherein said rosin is tall oil rosin.

Claim 48

The process according to claim 15 wherein said rosin is disproportionated wood rosin.

Claim 49

The process according to claim 1 wherein a polymerization chain transfer agent is added to said polymerization with the remaining monomer.

Claim 50

The process according to claim 1 wherein dodecyl mercaptan is present as a polymerization chain transfer agent.

Claim 51

The process according to claim 1 wherein 100 percent of the total water is present when the polymerization is initiated.

Claim 52

As a composition of matter the high solids latex having greater than 55 percent by weight of solids which comprises

Claim 53

As a composition of matter the high solids latex having greater than 55 percent by weight of solids which comprises

Claim 54

In the process of preparing high solids latexes having greater than 55 percent by weight of solids which comprises polymerizing monomers comprising chloroprene containing up to 25 percent by weight of another ethylenically unsaturated organic monomer copolymerizable with chloroprene in the presence of water, and salts of cations selected from the group consisting of alkaLi metals, ammonia and mixtures thereof (a) from 0.15 to 1.0 parts of a fatty acid member selected from the group consisting of unpolymerized fatty acid, polymerized fatty acids and mixtures thereof (b) from 0.30 to 4.0 parts of a formaldehyde condensate of a naphthalene sulfonic acid and (c) from 1.4 to 4.0 parts of a rosin member selected from the group consisting or rosins, disproportionated rosins and polymerized rosins wherein the improvement comprises initiating said polymerization in an aqueous emulsion containing 60 to 90 percent of the total of said monomer, fatty acid member, formaldehyde condensate and rosin member polymerizing until it has been determined the peak viscosity for the polymerization has occurred, the total amount of water being present in the polymerization prior to the peak viscosity, continuing said polymerization and determining that the viscosity has dropped lower than the peak viscosity, and adding the remaining monomer to said polymerization after said peak viscosity and during the continuing polymerization; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of the polymerized fatty acid, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of the said salt calculated as a salt, the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of disproportionated wood rosin with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 55

In the process of preparing high solids latexes having greater than 55 percent by weight of solids which comprises polymerizing monomers comprising chloroprene containing up to 25 percent by weight of another ethylenically unsaturated organic monomer copolymerizable with chloroprene in the presence of water, and salts of cations selected from the group consisting of alkaLi metals, ammonia and mixtures thereof (a) from 0.15 to 1.0 parts of a fatty acid member selected from the group consisting of unpolymerized fatty acid, polymerized fatty acids and mixtures thereof (b) from 0.30 to 4.0 parts of a formaldehyde condensate of a naphthalene sulfonic acid and (c) from 1.4 to 4.0 parts of a rosin member selected from the group consisting or rosins, disproportionated rosins and polymerized rosins wherein the improvement comprises initiating said polymerization in an aqueous emulsion containing 60 to 90 percent of the total of said monomer, fatty acid member, formaldehyde condensate and rosin member polymerizing until it has been determined the peak viscosity for the polymerization has occurred, the total amount of water being present in the polymerization prior to the peak viscosity, continuing said polymerization and determining that the viscosity has dropped lower than the peak viscosity, and adding the remaining monomer to said polymerization after said peak viscosity and during the continuing polymerization; provided the weight parts of said (a) are based on the weight of the polymerized fatty acid, the weight parts of said (b) are based on the weight of the said salt calculated as a salt, the weight parts of said (c) are based on the weight of disproportionated wood rosin with all of the weights of (a), (b) and (c) being based on 100 parts of monomer charged up to the time of said peak viscosity.

Claim 56

A process for the production of high solids latexes having greater than 55 percent by weight of solids which comprises

Claim 57

A process for the production of high solids latexes having greater than 55 percent by weight of solids which comprises