Patent ID: 7923514

Claim:
A process for hydrogenating a conjugated diene copolymer comprising conjugated diene units and α,β-ethylenically unsaturated nitrile units, characterized in that a conjugated diene copolymer comprising conjugated diene units and α,β-ethylenically unsaturated nitrile units is hydrogenated in a state of latex in the presence of a catalyst comprising a platinum group metal or a compound thereof and a basic compound wherein: (a) the catalyst is a supported catalyst which is prepared from a mixed liquid having a pH value of 7.2 to 13 and comprising the catalyst and a basic carrier, said basic carrier being selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, basic aluminum hydroxide, magnesium oxide, yttrium oxide, magnesium silicate, calcium silicate, and sodium aluminate; or (b) the catalyst is a homogeneous catalyst and the basic compound is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal carbonate salts, alkali metal hydrogencarbonate salts, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, alkaline earth metal carbonate salts, and alkaline earth metal hydrogencarbonate salts.