Graft copolymers containing polyoxazoline and polyoxazine, and the preparation thereof

A process for preparing graft copolymers, comprising the steps of:

• providing a backbone polymer having allylic chloride groups therein,
• said backbone polymer being unsaturated elastomers having allylic chloride groups therein, said unsaturated elastomers selected from the class consisting of chlorinated polydienes having repeating units containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms, chlorinated butyl rubber, chlorinated EPDM, chlorinated natural rubber, chlorinated styrene-butadiene rubber, and combinations thereof,
• adding monomers for forming pendant polymers on said backbone polymer, said monomers having the formula ##STR6## wherein R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having from 4 to 15 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 6 to 15 carbon atoms, combinations thereof, or hydrogen, and wherein n is 2 or 3, and
• heating to produce a graft copolymer wherein said monomers are polymerized and form pendant polymers, said pendant polymers substituted for said chlorine atom of said allylic chloride group of said backbone polymer, said heating temperature ranging from about 50.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C.

A graft copolymer composition, comprising the reaction product of an unsaturated elastomer backbone polymer having allylic chloride groups therein and monomers forming a pendant graft copolymer, said reaction product made by

• forming a reaction mixture, said reaction mixture containing said unsaturated elastomer backbone polymer having allylic chloride groups therein and said monomers forming a pendant graft copolymer, the amount of said allylic chloride groups in said backbone polymer ranging from about 0.1 percent to about 5 percent by weight,
• said unsaturated elastomers selected from the class consisting of chlorinated polydienes having repeating units containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms, chlorinated butyl rubber, chlorinated EPDM, chlorinated natural rubber, chlorinated styrene-butadiene rubber, and blends thereof,
• said monomers forming said pendant graft polymer having the formula ##STR7## wherein R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having from 4 to 15 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 6 to 15 carbon atoms, combinations thereof, or hydrogen, and wherein n is 2 or 3,
• adding from about 0.2 to about 10.0 millimoles of a metal salt coinitiator, said metal of said coinitiator selected from the class consisting of metals of Group 1a and Group 1b of the Periodic Table, said anion portion of said metal salt coinitiator is selected from the class consisting of CF.sub.3 SO.sub.3.sup.-, PF.sub.6.sup.-, ClO.sub.4.sup.-, BF.sub.4.sup.-, SbCl.sub.6.sup.-, AsF.sub.6.sup.-, I.sup.-, and Br.sup.-, and
• heating said reaction mixture to produce a graft copolymer wherein said monomers are polymerized and form pendant polymers, said pendant polymers and substituted for said chlorine atom of said allylic chloride group of said backbone polymer, said heating temperature ranging from about 50.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C., and wherein the amount by weight of said pendant graft polymer formed ranges from about 0.5 percent to about 90 percent based upon the total weight of said graft copolymer.