1. THE REACTION PRODUCT OF EQUIMOLAR AMOUNTS OF A HALOGEN-SUBSTITUTED ALKANESULFENYL HALIDE HAVING HALOGEN SUBSTITUENTS SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF BROMINE AND CHLORINE, NOT MORE THAN 6 CARBON ATOM ATTACHED AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN ATOM ON THE CARBON ATOM ATTACHED TO THE SULFENYL HALIDE RADICAL, WITH AN A,B-OLEFINICALLY UNSATURATED NITRILE OF THE FORMULA RCH=CRCN WHEREIN R IS A SUBSTITUENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND HYDROCARBON RADICALS FREE OF ALIPHATIC UNSATURATION AND CONTAINING BETWEEN 1 AND 6 CARBON ATOMS PROVIDED THAT AT LEAST ONE R REPRESENTS HYDROGEN, SAID REACTION PRODUCT BEING A MIXTURE OF COMPOUNDS HAVING DIVALENT SULFUR ATOMS, HALOGEN SUBSTITUENTS SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF BROMINE AND CHLORINE, AND NITRILE RADICALS.