Production of branched and/or crosslinked copolymers from olefinically unsaturated monomers

Branched and cross-linked polymers are produced by copolymerizing (1) one or more olefinically unsaturated monomers, e.g. acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acrylamide, methacrylamide, acrylic and methacrylic acids and their esters with methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, 2-ethylhexanol, cyclohexanol, cyclooctanol, decyl alcohol and lauryl alcohol, styrene, o-chlorostyrene, vinyltoluenes, a -methylstyrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, ethylene, propylene, butylene-1, butylene-2, isobutylene, butadiene, 2-chlorobutadiene, isoprene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl sulphonic acids, and vinyl methyl, isobutyl, hexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, decyl and lauryl ethers, with (2) an N-nitrosoamide which contains in the molecule at least one olefinic double bond. N-nitrosoamides specified include N-nitroso-N-(2-ethylhexyl)-maleic acid monoamide, N-nitroso-N-benzoyl-maleic acid monoamide, 1-nitroso-5-vinyl-5-isopropenylbarbituric acid, 1:3-dinitroso-5-vinyl-5-cyclohexenylbarbituric acid, and N-nitrosomethylene-bis-methacrylamide. Bulk, solution or emulsion polymerization may be effected using peroxides, azo-bis-isobutyronitrile, boron trifluoride, aluminium chloride, or thermal or photochemical excitation (using azo-bis-isobutyronitrile or perchlormethyl mercaptan as sensitizer). Copolymerization can be carried out at lower temperatures by adding small amounts of sodium, potassium or calcium hydroxide, sodium or potassium carbonate, sodamide, lithium, sodium or potassium alcoholates, methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, piperidine, pyridine, diethylenetriamine, or ethanolamines.ALSO:N - Nitroso - N - (2 - ethylhexyl) maleic acid monoamide is prepared by nitrosating N-(2-ethylhexyl)-maleic acid monoamide using dinitrogen trioxide. The reaction is carried out between 0 DEG C. and 5 DEG C. in suspension in chloroform.