Stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsions and process for preparing same

Claim 2

A process for forming a stable aqueous vinyl acetate-vinyl stearate copolymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate and vinyl stearate monomers in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene lauryl ethers, polyoxyethylene oleyl ethers, and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 3

A process for forming a stable aqueous copolymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer and a dialkyl ester of an alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene lauryl ethers, polyoxyethylene oleyl ethers, and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said non-ionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 4

The process of claim 4 in which the dialkyl ester of an alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid is dibutyl maleate.

Claim 5

A process for forming a stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, and polymerizing said monomers under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 6

A process for forming a stable vinyl acetate polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene oleyl ether having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene lauryl ether having a cloud point above 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents having about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, and polymerizing said monomers under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 7

A process for forming a stable vinyl acetate polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said nonionic emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycol, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F., and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 8

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a polymer of vinyl acetate, and at least two nonionic agents, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene lauryl ethers, polyoxyethylene oleyl ethers, and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 9

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a polymer of vinyl acetate, and at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 10

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a polymer of vinyl acetate and at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycol, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point of about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 11

Process for the production of a latex of a vinyl acetate polymer, comprising polymerizing a vinyl acetate in an aqueous emulsion containing about 0.1 to 1.5 percent by weight of said emulsion of a water-soluble colloidal emulsifying agent and about 0.045 to about 2.25 percent by weight of said emulsion of a water-immiscible nonionic surface-active agent containing a polyalkylene oxide chain and compatible with the resulting vinyl acetate polymer, said water-immiscible surface-active agent containing a polymer of propylene oxide, and said emulsion also containing about 0.045 to about 2.25 percent by weight of said emulsion of a water-miscible surface-active agent.

Claim 12

A vinyl acetate polymer emulsion of polymerized resin-forming monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate and mixtures of vinyl acetate with up to 40 percent of said mixture of material polymerizable with vinyl acetate selected from the group consisting of dialkyl maleates and dialkyl fumarates having two to eight carbon atoms in the alkyl radicals and vinyl esters of alkanoic acids having three to 18 carbon atoms in the alkanoic group, and at least to nonionic emulsifying agents, the first of said emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and being a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycol in which the polyoxypropylene chain has a molecular weight from 1,500 to 1,800 and the polyoxyethylene content is from 40 to 50 percent by weight of the total molecule which was present during the polymerization process, the second of said emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F. and being a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycol in which the polyoxypropylene chain has a molecular weight from 1,500 to 1,800 and the polyoxyethylene content is from 80 to 90 percent by weight of the total molecule which was present during the polymerization process, each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 13

A process for forming a stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene condensate emulsifying agent, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 14

A process for forming a stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene ethers of fatty alcohols of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 15

A process for forming a stable aqueous polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer and a monomer copolymerizable therewith selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids of three to 18 carbon atoms and dialkyl esters of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene condensate emulsifying agent, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 16

A process for forming a stable aqueous polymer emulsion which comprises homogenizing an aqueous emulsion containing vinyl acetate monomer and a monomer copolymerizable therewith selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids of three to 18 carbon atoms and dialkyl esters of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids in the presence of at least two nonionic emulsifying agents until at least 99 percent of said monomer has a droplet size below about 10 microns, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene ethers of fatty alcohols of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion, and polymerizing said monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions in contact with an emulsion polymerization catalyst.

Claim 17

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a polymer containing polymerized vinyl acetate, and at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene condensate emulsifying agent, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 18

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a polymer containing polymerized vinyl acetate, and at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene ethers of fatty alcohols of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 19

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a copolymer of vinyl acetate and a monomer copolymerizable therewith selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids of three to 18 carbon atoms and dialkyl esters of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being a polyoxyethylene condensate emulsifying agent, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.

Claim 20

A stable aqueous vinyl acetate polymer emulsion comprising water, a copolymer of vinyl acetate, and a monomer copolymerizable therewith selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids of three to 18 carbon atoms and dialkyl esters of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and at least two nonionic emulsifying agents, each of said emulsifying agents being selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene ethers of fatty alcohols of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, the first of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point between about 80* and 160* F. and the second of said nonionic emulsifying agents having a cloud point above about 190* F., each of said emulsifying agents constituting from 25 to 75 percent of the total amount of emulsifying agents, the total of said emulsifying agents being from about 0.4 to about 4 percent based on the aqueous phase of said emulsion.