Abstract: A process for the continuous preparation of rubber-modified polymers of vinyl-aromatics, wherein a mixture which contains a monomeric aromatic vinyl compound and from 3 to 30% by weight, based on the monomer, of an elastomeric polymer, with or without a solvent, is polymerized, in the presence of a free radical initiator and in the presence or absence of a mercaptan as chain transfer agent, at from 80.degree. to 180.degree. C., with stirring, in a cascade of two or more isothermally operated reaction zones and of one or more additional reaction zones which can be operated isothermally or with a rising temperature profile in such a way that the residence time of the reactants in the first reaction zone is .ltoreq.35 minutes. The polymer obtained is freed from vinyl-aromatic monomer, and from any solvent, in a devolatilization zone. The product is useful for the production of injection moldings.

Abstract: A thermoplastic molding material contains a styrene polymer, a polyphenylene ether and, as a component for improving the impact strength, a block copolymer obtained by reacting an ethylene copolymer with an active polymeric anion.

Abstract: Particulate polystyrene containing blowing agent and having improved expandability is based on polystyrene having a weight-average mean molecular weight of not more than from 130,000 to 180,000 and a molecular weight distribution curve in which the high molecular weight flank drops steeply. The expandable polystyrene particles are produced by polymerizing styrene in aqueous suspension in the presence of blowing agents and of chain transfer agents or styrene oligomers.

Abstract: Particulate polystyrene containing blowing agent and having improved expandability is based on polystyrene having a weight-average mean molecular weight of not more than from 130,000 to 180,000 and a molecular weight distribution curve in which the high molecular weight flank drops steeply. The expandable polystyrene particles are produced by polymerizing styrene in aqueous suspension in the presence of blowing agents and of chain transfer agents or styrene oligomers.

Abstract: Particulate polystyrene containing blowing agent and having improved expandability is based on polystyrene having a weight-average mean molecular weight of not more than from 130,000 to 180,000 and a molecular weight distribution curve in which the high molecular weight flank drops steeply. The expandable polystyrene particles are produced by polymerizing styrene in aqueous suspension in the presence of blowing agents and of chain transfer agents or styrene oligomers.

Abstract: (Co)polymers which are composed of one or more monomers from the group comprising(a) the vinyl-aromatic monomers and(b) the ethylenically unsaturated monomersand furthermore contain one or more monomer components (a) or (b), or (a) and (b), as unreacted residual monomers are treated at above the glass temperature of the (co)polymer and in the presence of one or more assistants, which have been added to the (co)polymer. The assistant used is a bicyclic compound of the general formula I ##STR1## where X is a methylene, ethylene, 1,1-ethenyl, 1,2-ethenyl, carbonyl, azo, amino, ether or thioether group which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, carboxyl, carboxyalkyl, an ether group or a thioether group, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, carboxyalkyl or nitrile, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are each hydrogen, halogen, alkyl or carboxyalkyl, and R.sup.7 and R.sup.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of high molecular weight polyphenylene ethers from alkyl-substituted monohydric phenols by an oxidative coupling reaction with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst complex of a copper salt and an organic amine, subsequent stopping of the reaction and removal of the metal component of the catalyst by addition of chelating and/or salt-forming agents, wherein the polymer solution is treated with a compound having the general structure: ##STR1## where R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 can be identical or different and each is OH, NH.sub.2, NHR.sup.5, where R.sup.5 is alkyl or cycloalkyl, or SH, and where R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 are identical or different, being hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, carbonyl, carboxyl, carboxyalkyl or nitrile, and can be linked to form a ring, advantageously in an amount of from 0.1 to 100 mmoles and advantageously in from 1 to 20% strength aqueous solutions.

Abstract: An impact-resistant thermoplastic molding material, containing polystyrene as the matrix, and, dispersed therein, two elastomeric polymers or copolymers I and II composed entirely or predominantly of 1,3-dienes and containing particles of different mean size, namely, in I, particles from 0.2 to 0.6 .mu.m in size and having capsule particle morphology, and, in II, particles from 2 to 8 .mu.m in size, having cell particle or coil particle morphology.

Abstract: High molecular weight polyphenylene ethers are prepared from monohydric phenols by an oxidative coupling reaction with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst complex obtained from a copper salt and an organic amine by a method wherein the metal component of the catalyst is separated off, after the polymerization, by the addition of a polymeric polycarboxylic acid which is essentially composed of unsaturated monofunctional or difunctional carboxylic acids and/or their anhydrides.Advantageously, the polymeric polycarboxylic acids used are homopolymers or copolymers of (a) from 50 to 100% by weight of one or more unsaturated monofunctional acids of 3 to 10 carbon atoms and/or one or more difunctional acids or their anhydrides of 4 to 6 carbon atoms and from 0 to 50% by weight of one or more monomers which do not possess an acid function and can be copolymerized with (a).

Abstract: In the preparation of a high molecular weight polyphenylene ether from a monohydric phenol by an oxidative coupling reaction with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst complex obtained from a metal salt and an organic amine and in the presence of a solvent, and isolation of the metal ion component of the catalyst from the polyphenylene ether solution by means of a complex-forming or chelate-forming compound, the catalyst is removed by a method wherein complex formation and isolation of the metal ion component of the catalyst are carried out in an aqueous medium in the presence of from 0.1 to 5,000 mg of an anionic or non-ionic surfactant.

Abstract: A thermoplastic molding material based on a styrene polymer which has been made impact-resistant, and on a polyphenylene ether, wherein the impact-resistant styrene polymer comprises a soft component which has a mean particle diameter of greater than 0.3 .mu.m and contains an acrylic ester polymer as the elastomeric component. The novel molding materials possess improved flow and give moldings having improved aging resistance.

Abstract: Thermoplastic molding materials contain a copolymer A and a graft copolymer B. The copolymer A is a hard component comprising one or more copolymers of styrene and/or .alpha.-methylstyrene with from 20 to 40% by weight of acrylonitrile.The graft copolymer B comprises one or more crosslinked acrylate polymer with a mean particle size of 0.5-0.8 .mu.m (d.sub.50 value of the cumulative mass distribution), a particle distribution, expressed by the ratio ##EQU1## in the range Q.gtoreq.0.6, and a glass transition temperature Tg below 0.degree. C. A mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile in a weight ratio from 88:12 to 65:35 is grafted onto this rubber.

Abstract: The use of tricyclodecenyl alcohol in place of other crosslinking agents for crosslinking the soft component of impact-resistant polystyrene based on a polystyrene-grafted poly(alkyl acrylate) improves the flow of mixtures of the said polystyrene with polyphenylene ethers.

Abstract: Molding materials containing high molecular weight polyphenylene ethers are produced by a process in which a solution of a polyphenylene ether in an organic solvent, together with another polymer, is freed of solvent by multi-stage evaporation.The solvent is preferably an aromatic compound from the class comprising the hydrocarbons, halohydrocarbons, ethers or esters, the ratio of the other polymer to the polyphenylene ether is advantageously from 99:1 to 20:80 parts by weight, the other polymer is, in particular, a homopolymer or copolymer of styrene or of a homolog thereof, which may be modified with rubber, and the multi-stage evaporation process preferably comprises not less than two and not more than four working up stages.The evaporation is carried out in general at from 120.degree. to 280.degree. C. and under a pressure of from 1 to 3,000 mbar, advantageously in the presence of assistants which reduce the partial pressure, eg. water and/or methanol.

Abstract: A process, carried out without a diluent or in solution, in more than 2 reaction zones, for the continuous preparation of rubber-modified polymers of vinylaromatics, wherein a monomeric aromatic vinyl compound and an elastomeric polymer, in an amount of from 3 to 16% by weight based on the monomer, are polymerized, in the absence of a free radical initiator, but in the presence of a mercaptan as a chain transfer agent, at from 80.degree. to 180.degree. C. in a first reaction zone, with stirring, up to a maximum monomer conversion, U.sub.max, given by the equationU.sub.max =K-1where K is the amount of rubber in % by weight based on monomer, and, in a second reaction zone, polymerization is continued, with stirring, to a conversion of up to about 50% by weight, after which a chain transfer agent is introduced in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.

Abstract: Thermoplastic molding materials based on styrene polymers modified to be impact resistant with EPDM rubbers and polyphenylene ethers wherein the particles of the flexible components of the impact resistant styrene polymer have an average particle diameter range of 0.3 to 0.7 microns.

Abstract: The invention relates to thermoplastic molding materials based on impact resistant polystyrene and polyphenylene ethers. The molding materials of this invention contain a flexible component having a glass temperature below -70.degree. C. and a flexible component having a glass temperature in the range of 0.degree. to -70.degree. C.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of impact resistant thermoplastic molding materials wherein potassium salts of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids with 10 to 30 carbon atoms are used as emulsifier.

Abstract: A process for making ABS polymer particles comprising continuous polymerization of a mixture of at least one of each of (a) an aromatic vinyl monomer, and (b) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer in a weight ratio of (a):(b) of 90:10 to 10:90 in the presence of at least one of each of (c) a rubber-like polymer in an amount of 3 to 35 percent by weight relative to the total weight of the monomers (a) and (b), (d) a solvent, (e) a radical initiator and (f) an optional chain transfer agent. The process is carried out at temperatures between 80.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. in two or more reaction zones while the reaction mixture is stirred and while the monomers and solvents are removed in a degassing zone. The rubber-like polymer (c) has a solution viscosity of less than 80 mPa.s and a ratio of the solution viscosity of (c) to a percent of solvent expressed by 100[(d)/(a+b+c+d)] equal to or less than 2.5 mPa.s/percent of solvent.

Abstract: Thermoplastic molding materials based on impact resistant styrene polymers and polyphenylene ethers, containing an ester of an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having 8 to 30 carbon atoms and an aliphatic or aromatic hydroxy compound having 1 to 6 hydroxyl groups.