Vinyl esters and derivatives thereof and process of preparing same

Claim 2

CRYSTALLINE POLYVINYL FORMATE EXHIBITING A CLEAR RING X-RAY DIFFRACTION PATTERN IN THE UNSTRETCHED CONDITION: SAID POLYVINYL FORMATE EXHIBITING A CLEAR X-RAY DIFFRACTION PATTERN OF FIBER WHEN DRAWN AND SAID DRAWN FIBER WAVVE LENGTHS BEING 5 A: SAID POLYVINYL FORMATE CONVERTIBLE BY SAPONIFICATION TO POLYVINYL ALCOHOL HAVING A SMALL CONTENT OF 1,2 GLYCOL BONDS; AND WHERE SAID POLYVINYL FORMATE IS PRODUCED BY THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES PREPARING A POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM COMPRISING A FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AND VINYL FORMATE MONOMER, MAINTAINING THE POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOVE THE SOLIDFICATION POINT OF THE POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM TO AT MOST 0*C. DURING THE POLYMERIZATION OF SAID VINYL FORMATE MONOMER, AND RECOVERING CRYSTALLINE POLYVINYL FROMATE PRODUCED BY SAID POLYMERIZATION OF SAID VINYL FORMATE MONOMER.

Claim 3

CRYSTALLINE POLYVINYL ALCOHOL HAVING A SMALL CONTENT OF 1, 2 GLYCOL BONDS AND A LOW DEGREE OF SWELLING IN WATER; SAID POLYVINYL ALCOHOL BEING PRODUCED BY THE SAPONIFICATION OF POLYVINYL FORMATE POLYMER; SAID POLYVINYL FORMATE POLYMER BEING OBTAINED BY THE POLYMERIZATION OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VINYL FORMATE MONOMER AND A MONOMER MIXTURE OF VINYL FORMATE CONTAINING FROM 1% TO 25 MOL PERCENT OF VINYL ACETATE, SAID POLYMERIZATION BEING CONDUCTED AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOVE THE SOLIDIFICATION POINT OF THE POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM TO AT MOST 0*C., AND WHERE THE POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION CATALYST, AND COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SAID MATERIALS AND SAID MATERIALS CONTAINED IN A POLYMERIZATION SOLVENT; SAID POLYMERIZATION SOLVENT BEING SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID MATERIALS IN SOLUTION DURING SAID POLYMERIZATION AND BEING A LOWER ALKYL FORMATE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 1 TO 6 CARBON ALKYL FORMATES.

Claim 4

CRYSTALLINE POLYVINYL ALCOHOL HAVING A SMALL CONTENT OF 1, 2 GLYCOL BONDS AND A LOW DEGREE OF SWELLING IN WATER; SAID POLYVINYL ALCOHOL BEING PRODUCED BY THE SAPONIFICATION OF POLYVINYL FORMATE POLYMER; SAID POLYVINYL FORMATE POLYMER BEING OBTAINED BY THE POLYMERIZATION OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VINYL FORMATE MONOMER AND A MONOMER MIXTURE OF VINYL FORMATE CONTAINING FROM 1% TO 25 MOL PERCENT OF VINYL ACETATE, SAID POLYMERIZATION BEING CONDUCTED AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOVE THE SOLIDIFICATION POINT OF THE POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM TO AT MOST 0*C., AND WHERE THE POLYMERIZATION SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION CATALYST, AND COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SAID MATERIALS AND SAID MATERIALS CONTAINED IN A POLYMERIZATION SOLVENT; SAID POLYMERIZATION SOLVENT BEING SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID MATERIALS IN SOLUTION DURING SAID POLYMERIZATION AND BEING A LOWER ALKYL FORMATE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 1 TO 6 CARBON ALKYL FORMATES.