Patent ID: 7932328

Claim:
A process for the production of a copolymer of vinyl alcohol (VOH) and a comonomer comprising: a) continuously feeding with agitation, vinyl acetate (VAM) and comonomer, a free radical yielding polymerization initiator, and a solvent to a first reaction zone under polymerization conditions for a residence time sufficient for a major proportion of comonomer fed to said first reaction zone to polymerize; b) continuously feeding reaction mass from said first reaction zone with an additional supply of comonomer to a second reaction zone, maintaining the reaction mass in the second reaction zone for a residence time sufficient to polymerize a major proportion of the comonomer added to the second reaction zone; c) continuously withdrawing reaction mass from the second reaction zone; d) separating copolymer from the reaction mass of step (c); and e) saponifying by hydrolysis and/or alcoholysis a major proportion of the acetate groups in said copolymer to form a copolymer of VOH.