Multilayered polymeric latices with hydrophilic surface layer

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF POLYMER PARTICLES COMPRISING: (I) FIRST POLYMERIZING A CORE COMPRISING THE EMULSION POLYMERIZED PRODUCT OF AT LEAST ONE MONOMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STYRENE, METHACRYLIC ACID, VINYL CHLORIDE, BUTADIENE, ALKYL ACRYLATES AND ALKYL METHACRYLATES, WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS FROM 1 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS; (II) SECONDLY, AFTER THE POLYMERIZATION OF THE CORE IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, POLYMERIZING A PENULTIMATE LAYER, ONTO THE CORE, WHEREIN THE PENULTIMATE LAYER COMPRISES THE EMULSION POLYMERIZED PRODUCT OF AT LEAST ONE ALPHA, BETA-ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC, METHACRYLIC, CINAMIC, ATROPIC, CROTONIC, MALEIC, ITACONIC AND FUMARIC ACIDS, AND THE HALF ESTERS OF MALEIC AND FUMARIC ACIDS; AND (III) AFTER THE POLYMERIZATION OF THE PENULTIMATE LAYER IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, POLYMERIZING AN ULTIMATE LAYER ONTO THE CORE/PENULIMATE LAYER FORMED FROM (I) AND (II) ABOVE, WHEREIN THE ULTIMATE LAYER COMPRISES THE EMULSION POLYMERIZED PRODUCT OF AT LEAST ONE EMULSION POLYMERIZABLE AMINE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOAMINO ALKYL ACRYLATE, DIAMINOALKYL ACRYLATES, MONOAMINOALKYL METHACRYLATES, DIAMONOALKYL METHACRYLATES, VINLY PYRIDINES, N-ALKYLAMINOSTYRENE AND N,N-DIALKYLAMINOSTYRENES; AND WHEREIN ANY COMONOMERS USED ARE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STYRENE, METHACRYLIC ACID, VINYL CHLORIDE, BUTADIENE, ALKYL ACRYLATES AND ALKYL METHACRYLATES, WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINS FROM 1 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS; WHEREIN THE PROCESS COMPRISES POLYMERIZING THE MONOMERS IN SUCH PROPORTIONS THAT SAID ULTIMATE LAYER (III) IS LESS THAN 0.005 MICRON IN THICKNESS, AND WHEREIN THE FINAL 0.01 MICRON INCREASE TO THE DIAMETER OF THE RESULTANT INTERPOLYMER PARTICLES COMPRISES AN OUTERMOST PORTION CONSISTING OF ULTIMATE LAYER (III) AND PENULTIMATE LAYER (II) SUCH THAT THE COMPOSITION OF THE OUTERMOST PORTION COMPRISES FROM ABOUT 2.5 TO ABOUT 6.2 MOL PERCENT OF THE ACID AND FROM ABOUT 4.5 TO ABOUT 6.8 MOL PERCENT OF THE AMINE IN A RATIO OF FROM ABOUT 0.4 TO 1.3 MOLS OF ACID TO MOL OF AMINE.