FREMGANGMSAADE TIL CHLORERING AF EN FAST FINDELT ETHYLENPOLYMER

A process for chlorinating solid, finely-divided ethylene polymers is disclosed, wherein the resulting chloropolyethylene has a statistical or hybridical distribution of chlorine in the polymer. The polymer is mixed with 10 - 100% by weight of water, based on the weight of the ethylene polymer, and the polymer is chlorinated with chlorine at a temperature which is above the crystalline melting point of the ethylene polymer during at least 70% of the chlorination period. The chlorination pressure is such that the boiling point of water at that pressure is at least equal to the chlorination temperature. The amount of water in the ethylene polymer is maintained at a level of at least 10% by weight based on starting ethylene polymer until the chlorination has proceeded at least to the point where the chlorine content of the polymer is 15% by weight.