| abstract |
Emulsion copolymer latex comprising an acrylic/methacrylic copolymer comprises emulsion copolymerisation of the following components: [a] 75-97.5% by weight methyl acrylate; [b] 0.1-15% by weight of at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, beta-carboxyethyl acrylate, itaconic acid; [c] 1-20% by weight of at least one associative monomer of formula (I) R-O-(CH2-CH2-O)x(CH2-CH(R1)O)y-C(O)-CR2=CH2 (I) in which R is a linear or branched (C7-C32) alkyl group or an alkyl phenyl group whose alkyl group has 1-20 carbon atoms, R1 is methyl, R2 is hydrogen or methyl, x is an integer of 3-80 and y is an integer of 0-20, an example of an associative monomer is Sipomer (RTM) BEM or Sipomer (RTM) HPM-400; and [d] optionally up to 15% by weight of one or more non-ionic ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than [a], [b] or [c], such as linear, branched, cycloaliphatic or aryl aliphatic esters of acrylic or methacrylic acids; wherein the total components add up to 100%. Also disclosed is a method for making a thickener composition comprising hydrolysing the emulsion copolymer latex; and use of the composition comprising the emulsion copolymer latex. |