Patent ID: 6462114
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: C08F,Y10S

Abstract:
A process for forming a microgel which comprises a core of crosslinked polymer and multiplicity of substantially linear polymeric arms attached to the core;wherein the process comprises (a) polymerizing monoethylenically unsaturated monomers in the presence of an organic sulfonylhalide, an organic complexing agent and a transition metal to form a prepolymer terminated with a halogen atom that has a weight average molecular weight of 1,000-25,000; (b) polymerizing said prepolymer with monoethylenically unsaturated monomers and with 0.5-60 mole percent, based on the total moles of monomers and prepolymer, of multi-olefinic polymerizable monomers containing two or more carbon to carbon double bonds, to form the microgel having a weight average molecular weight of 104-108; and wherein the monoethylenically unsaturated monomers of the core and the prepolymer are individually selected from the group consisting of alkenes having 1-10 carbon atoms, alkyl (meth)acrylates having 1-12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, hydroxy alkyl (meth)acrylate, wherein the alkyl groups have 1-4 carbon atoms, styrene, alkylstyrene, acrylonitrile, glycidyl (meth)acrylate, isobornyl (meth)acrylate, haloalkyl, N-substituted aminoalkyl (meth)acrylates, N, N-di-substituted aminoalkyl(meth)acrylates, cycloalkyl (meth)acrylates, phenoxy (meth)acrylate, alkylene glycol (meth)acrylate, poly(alkylene glycol) (meth)acrylatem acrylamides, methacrylamides, esters of fumaric acid, esters of maleic acid, maleic acid, maleic acid anhydride, N-vinylcarbazole, N-vinylpyrrolidone, vinylpyridine, benzyl (meth)acrylate, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, butadine, isoprene, chloroprene and any mixtures thereof; and wherein the organic sulfonyl halide has the formula A1SO2X wherein A1 is an aryl, substituted aryl group, and alkyl group or a substituted alkyl group, and X is chlorine, bromine or iodine; and wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ru, Ni, Re, Pd, Cu, Ni, Fe, Pd, and Rh.