An object of the present invention is to provide a novel polychloroprene-based
copolymer, a soapless polychloroprene-based latex, and a process for producing the same in a simple and convenient manner, which are intended to be used for the improvement in adhesiveness and
water resistance of a conventional polychloroprene
adhesive or the improvement in oil resistance and adhesiveness of a
styrene-butadiene block
copolymer.The invention relates to a
chloroprene-based block
copolymer comprising a
polymer (A) having a composition represented by the following formula (1) and a
chloroprene-based
polymer (B), the
polymer (A) being linked to one terminal or both terminals of the
chloroprene-based polymer (B), and the total amount of the 1,2-bond and the isomerized 1,2-bond in the chloroprene-based polymer (B) as determined by carbon-13
nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry being 2.0 mol % or less; a soapless polychloroprene-based latex comprising an amphipathic chloroprene copolymer having a hydrophobic chloroprene-based polymer and a hydrophilic
oligomer or polymer having an acidic functional group linked to the hydrophobic chloroprene-based polymer and 2 wt % or less of an emulsifying agent; and a process for producing the same:wherein U represents
hydrogen, a
methyl group, a cyano group, or a substituted
alkyl group; V represents a
phenyl group, a substituted
phenyl group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a substituted alkoxycarbonyl group, an allyloxycarbonyl group, a substituted allyloxycarbonyl group, an acyloxy group, a substituted acyloxy group, an amido group, or a substituted amido group; X represents
hydrogen, a
methyl group,
chlorine, or a cyano group; Y represents
hydrogen,
chlorine, or a
methyl group; Q represents a
polymerization residue of
maleic anhydride,
citraconic acid,
maleic acid, fumalic acid, a maleate ester, or a fumalate ester; and k, n, and m each represents an integer of 0 or more.