Method of preparing an easy processing polyvinyl halide by an in-process

Abstract

An easy processing polyvinyl halide polymer can be made by a process of reacting a vinyl ester and maleic anhydride with said vinyl halide polymer to produce a branched chain graft copolymer in which the monomeric vinyl ester and maleic anhydride are graft copolymerized onto the polyvinyl chloride backbone. Such a reaction can take place during processing of the polyvinyl chloride homopolymer on such equipment as Banbury mixers, injection molders, extruders and two-roll mills. The process is readily accomplished generally involving no more than the usual processing time involved to incorporate fillers, plasticizers and stabilizers into the polyvinyl halide homopolymer. The products of the invention are more readily processable without decomposition by thermal means and can be cross-linked into rigid products by the reaction of the grafted anhydride group in the product with such cross-linking agents as polyfunctional alcohols, amines, epoxides, and isocyanates.