Adhesive composition and butadiene, styrene, acrylonitrile copolymer therefor

A copolymer of butadiene, styrene and acrylonitrile, suitable for use in a pressure sensitive adhesive, characterized by having an ultimate tensile strength in the range of about 50 to about 100 pounds per square inch and an ultimate elongation in the range of about 600 to about 1200 percent at 25.degree.0 C., and further characterized by a Mooney plasticity of about 25 to about 85, a benzene solution viscosity at a 4 weight percent concentration at 25.degree. C of about 10 to about 100 centipoises (cps) and a hexane solution viscosity at a 10 weight percent concentration at 25.degree. C of about 200 to about 2000cps, prepared by the method which comprises (1) aqueous emulsion free radical polymerizing in the presence of a modifier composed of primary and/or tertiary mercaptans, a monomer mixture comprising about 3 to about 8 weight percent styrene, about 97 to about 92 weight percent 1,3-butadiene and about 1 to about 4 weight percent acrylonitrile based on 100 weight percent monomer mixture to a conversion of about 50 to about 75 weight percent of said monomers to a copolymer thereof, and (2) reacting an additional amount of about 2 to about 5 weight percent styrene, based on the total monomers used, with said copolymer to an extent of about 80 to about 98 weight percent conversion of the total monomers to a copolymer thereof, with additional mercaptan modifier.