Abstract:
Storage-stable polychloroprene is obtained, using a polymerization initiator comprising a mixture of (1) a redox system comprising (a) a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of (i) sodium dithionite, (ii) formamidine sulphinic acid, and (iii) a mixture from (i) and (ii), (b) potassium peroxodisulphate as an oxidizing agent and, optionally, (2) sodium anthraquinone-. beta. -sulphonate as a co-activator in the presence of oxygen, wherein from 10 to 90 by weight of the initiator are present at the commencement of polymerization and the remainder is added during the polymerization, and after a certain degree of conversion the reducing agent is the only component of redox system (1) which remains to be added.