Adhesive compositions containing low molecular weight polymer additives

Claim 1

An adhesive composition containing a blend of (i) adhesive polymers or copolymers prepared from monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, butadiene, acrylonitrile, ethylene, vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and esters of methacrylic acid and (ii) from about 1 to about 55% on a dry weight basis of a polymeric additive wherein said polymeric additive is polymerized from monomers selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 20 alkyl and cycloalkyl acrylates, C 1 -C 20 alkyl and cycloalkyl methacrylates, free-radical polymerizable olefinic acids, and other ethylenically unsaturated monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, alpha-methyl styrene, vinyl toluene, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, ethylene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, acrylamide, methacrylamide, 2-cyanoethyl acrylate, 2-cyanoethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, dimethylaminopropyl methacrylate, t-butylaminoethyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, benzyl acrylate, benzyl methacrylate, phenyl acrylate and phenyl methacrylate, said polymeric additive having a number average molecular weight less than about 35,000 and a softening point greater than about 40° C.