Formation of beater saturated products using a partially cross-linked acrylic latex binder and product thereof

Claim 1

IN THE DEPOSITION OF AN ACRYLIC LATEX ON FIBERS IN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION IN A BEATER SATURATION PROCESS, SAID LATEX BEING A CURABLE ACRYLIC LATEX CONTAINING GROUPS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBOXYL GROUPS, AMIDE GROUPS, AND MIXTURES THEREOF DISTIBUTED ALONG THE POLYMERIC BACKBONE, THE METHOD OF IMPROVING THE STENGTH AND FLEX-CRACKING RESISTANCE OF THE WATER-LAID PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES ADDING TO SAID LATEX 0.5-5% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE DRY WEIGHT OF SAID LATEX OF TRIMETHYLOL TRIMETHOXYMETHYL MALAMINE, HEATING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 150-200*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME RANGING FROM ONE MINUTE TO ONE HOUR TO PARTIALLY CROSSLINK SAID LATEX, DEPOSTING THE PARTIALLY CROSS-LINKED LATEX ON PAPERMAKING FIBERS IN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION, FORMING A PRODUCT FROM THE RESULTING COATED FIBERS, DRYING THE PRODUCT, AND HEATING THE PRODUCT TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 200-300*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OF FROM ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR TO COMPLETLY CURE THE LATEX.