PRODUCTION OF MOLDING OF SAPONIFIED ETHYLENE/VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER

PURPOSE:To produce a molding of the titled saponified product of good surface properties (especially, low fish-eye content), by saponifying a vinyl acetate copolymer substantilly free from gel matter, which is prepared by polymerization under specified conditions. CONSTITUTION:A copolymer of the formula, wherein X/(Y+Z)=0.3-1.5, Z/Y= 0-0.1, R is H or methyl and R' is methyl or COOR, is formed by continuously copolymerizing vinyl acetate with ethylene and other monomers by using methanol or t-butyl alcohol as a polymerization solvent and an initiator having a half-life, at 80 deg.C, of below 2hr, e.g., 2,2'-azobis-(2,4-dimethyl-4-methoxyvaleronitrile) as a radical initiator. Then, a saponified product is formed by adding an alkali (or an alkali metal alcoholate) to a solution of the above copolymer in methanol (and t-butyl alcohol).