Emulsions of acrylic polymers

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MAKING A FREEZE-THAW AND MECHANICALLY STABLE EMULSION BY COPOLYMERIZING AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT MONOETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED POLYMERIZABLE MONOMERS WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AT LEAST TWO COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STYRENE, RINGSUBSTITUTED MONOMETHYLSTYRENE, AND DIMETHYLSTYRENE, ALKYL ACRYLATES AND METHACRYLATES CONTAINING FROM 1-4 CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYL GROUP, VINYL ESTERS OF SATURATED ACIDS HAVING 1-3 CARBON ATOMS, AND ACRYLONITRILE, WITH A POLYMERIZABLE ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC AND METHACRYLIC ACIDS, SAID ACID BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNTS OF BETWEEN 0.5% AND 10% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE MONOMERS, THE OTHER MONOMERS BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNTS OF AT LEAST 5% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE MONOMERS, AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 80*C. TO REFLUX IN AN AQUEOUS PHASE IN THE PRESENCE OF A THREE-COMPONENT EMULSIFIER SYSTEM COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY (A) AN ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED PHENOLIC ETHERETHYLENE OXIDE CONDENSATION PRODUCT, (B) AN ALKALI METAL SALT OF DISPROPORTIONATED ROSIN ACIDS, AND (C) AN ALKYL ESTER OF SODIUM SULFOSUCCINIC ACID, EACH EMULSIFIER BEING PRESENT IN SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL WEIGHT PERCENTAGES OF BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5% AND 1.5% BASED ON THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF MONOMERS PRESENT, ADDING CATALYST TO THE AQUEOUS PHASE FROM A TIME PRECEDING ADDITION OF THE MONOMER PHASE AT SUCH A RATE AS THE ADDITION THEREOF WILL EXTEND BEYOND THE ADDITION OF ACID MONOMER PHASE AND ADJUSTING THE PH OF THE REACTION PRODUCT TO GREATER THAN PH 7.