The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 1978
Filed:
May. 16, 1977
Bert H Clampitt, Katy, TX (US);
Ronald E Gilbert, Katy, TX (US);
Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A process is provided for preparing a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic or methacrylic acid. Typically, a copolymer of ethylene and methyl acrylate is dissolved in a diarylalkane such as 1,1-dixylylethane. A transesterification catalyst and either isopropanol or tertiary butanol is added to the polymer solution which then is heated to reflux to convert the polymerized methyl acrylate moiety to the isopropyl or tertiary butyl acrylate moiety. Following completion of the transesterification reaction, any excess isopropanol or tertiary butanol is removed from the reaction system by distillation. The polymer solution then is heated to a temperature of the order of 320.degree. C to thermally crack the isopropyl or tertiary butyl acrylate and form the corresponding ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is insoluble in the diarylalkane and can be recovered by filtration.