Suspension polymerization process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF HIGH IMPACT PLASTIC COMPOSITIONS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: A. POLYMERIZING AT LEAST ONE POLYMERIZABLE MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND EMPLOYING AN ORGANO MONOALKALI METAL INITIATOR UNDER POLYMERIZATION CONDITIONS, THEREBY FORMING A BLOCK OF SAID MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND, B. FURTHER POLYMERIZING ONTO THE MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND POLYMER BLOCK FROM SAID STEP (A) AT LEAST ONE COPOLYMERIZABLE CONJUGATED DIENE, THEREBY FORMING ONTO SAID BLOCK OF MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND POLYMER A BLOCK OF POLYMERIZED CONJUGATED DIENE WITH A CARBON-LITHIUM BOND ON THE END THEREOF, WHEREIN THE RESULTING BLOCK COPOLYMER CONTAINS ABOUT 40 TO 95 PARTS BY WEIGHT COPOLYMERIZED CONJUGATED DIENE AND CORRESPONDINGLY ABOUT 60 TO 5 PARTS BY WEIGHT COPOLYMERIZED MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND, SAID COPOLYMER CHARACTERIZED BY SUFFICIENT UNSATURATION AS TO BE VULCANIZABLE, C. REACTING THE BLOCK COPOLYMER FROM SAID STEP (B) WITH A POLYFUNCTIONAL COMPOUND CONTAINING 3 TO 7 REACTIVE SITES PER MOLECULE CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH THE CARBON-LITHIUM BOND ON THE END OF THE CONJUTATED DIENE BLOCK OF THE COPOLYMER PREPARED IN SAID STEP (B), SAID POLYFUNCTIONAL COMPOUND IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF EPOXIDES, ISOCYANATES, IMINES, ALDEHYDES, AND HALIDES, THEREBY PREPARING A RADIAL BLOCK COPOLYMER CHARATERIZED IN THAT THE END BLOCKS ARE DERIVED FROM SAID MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED COMPOUND, D. DISSOLVING THE RADIAL BLOCK COPOLYMER RESULTING FROM SAID STEP (C) IN AT LEAST ONE VINYLIDENE GROUP CONTAINING MONOMER-SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOVINYL-SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUNDS, ALPHA, BETA-UNSATURATED NITRILES, ESTER OF ACRYLIC ACID, ESTERS OF ALKACRYLIC ACID, VINYL ESTERS, MALEINIMIDES, DIALKYL MALEATES, FUMARATES, OR MIXTURES, OF WHICH A VINYLIDINE NITRILE MONOMER CONSTITUTES UP TO ABOUT 95 WEIGHT PERCENT, WHEREIN SAID VINYLIDENE GROUP CONTAINING MONOMER CONTAINS UP TO 30 CARBON ATOMS, PER MOLECULE, THEREBY PREPARING A RUBBERIN-MONOMER SOLUTION, E. SUSPENSION POLYMERIZING UNDER AQUEOUS SUSPENSION POLYMERIZATION CONDITIONS SAID RUBBER-IN-MONOMER SOLUTION, F. RECOVERING THE PRODUCT OF SAID AQUEOUS SUSPENSION POLYMERIZATION AS A HIGH IMPACT PLASTIC COMPOSITION.