Abstract: A process for the recovery of an initially living polymer from a cement produced in a polymerization process. The living polymer cement is shortstopped, washed, stabilised, coagulated and dried. The recovery process comprises adding a short stop to the polymer in the cement, washing catalyst residue from the polymer with water, adding an antioxidant Irganox 1520 to the cement to stabilise the polymer, adding epoxidised soya bean oil to the polymer to stabilise the polymer against colour degradation, and coagulating and drying the polymer. The pH of the cement is regulated in the range of from about 3 to about 7, and preferably from about 6 to about 7, during the catalyst wash and the coagulation steps of the recovery process. A product of the process is also described.

Abstract: Gel-free ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers with a high content of copolymerized vinyl acetate and a high Mooney viscosity are produced by carrying out the polymerization in solution in the presence of 20 to 45% by weight tert.butanol, based on the reaction solution, at temperatures of 50.degree. to 80.degree. C. and under pressures of 300 to 450 bar using azo compounds in a cascade of stirred reactors with an average residence time of the reaction solution in the reactor cascade of 5 to 9 hours and a conversion of 50 to 70% by weight, based on the vinyl acetate used. The ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers produced by the process according to the invention may be used for the production of vulcanizates having improved mechanical properties.