General Electric Company

Dane M Ferraris

Robert Edgar Colborn

Vern Lowry

Matthew Hal Littlejohn

Shripathy Vilasagar

Ke Feng

David Francis Townsend

An emulsion polymerization process for the preparation of polybutadiene grafted with styrene and acrylonitrile monomers in a reaction system is provided. The resultant product has a low end content of unreacted residual monomers, low yellowness index, and improved impact strength. The diene rubber is prepared via a process wherein a chain transfer agent is added on a continuous basis to give a rubber substrate having a low crosslink density. In one embodiment of the invention, the process includes charging the reaction system with a pre-selected diene emulsion with a low crosslink density, adding a first portion of at least one of a styrene monomer and acrylonitrile monomer to the diene emulsion, adding to the reaction system, over a predetermined time, an initiator and a second portion of acrylonitrile and styrene monomer, and polymerizing the catalyzed reaction mixture of diene substrate, styrene and acrylonitrile to form ABS graft polymers. In another embodiment, a third monomer is added after the conversion rate of the monomers is greater than 98%.

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Parkersburg, WV, United States of America

Dane M Ferraris