Patent ID: 6369162
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: C08F,C08L,C10M

Abstract:
A process for preparing a radial polymer comprising at least 3 polymeric arms and a central core comprising a polymerized di- or polyfunctional monomer, said process comprising the steps,(a) polymerizing at an elevated temperature, a charge comprising at least one free radical-polymerizable monomer to prepare a stabilized active polymer block (A) using a free radical polymerization process, wherein a stable free radical agent is employed during the polymerization, thereby preserving the stabilized active polymerization site at the terminus of the polymer; optionally (b) adding at least one additional free radical-polymerizable monomer, at least one of which is different from the monomers making up the first charge of monomers, to the stabilized active polymer block (A); and further reacting the mixture using a free radical process to effect copolymerization of said monomers, thereby preparing an A-B block copolymer having a stabilized active polymerization site at the terminus of the polymer; then (c) adding at least one coupling agent comprising a polyfunctional monomer and reacting the stabilized active polymers from (a) or (b) with the coupling agent to form a radial polymer while retaining the active polymerization site thereon.