| abstract |
An aqueous latex of a vinyl ester polymer is described which has the property of forming crosslinkable films upon the addition of an extraneous curing additive. The latex is useful as a binder, particularly for non-woven fibers, or for wood panel or textile coating. The polymer comprises a major proportion of a vinyl ester monomer, typically vinyl acetate, which is interpolymerized with polymerizable comonomers comprising a film-formingtemperature regulating amount of a comonomer, typically ethylene or an acrylate ester, and a minor amount of a synergistic combination of crosslinking reactive comonomers, typically diallyl maleate with N-methylolacrylamide. Treatment of the latex to reduce its pH, e.g., by addition of an acidic agent, imparts crosslinking activity to films prepared from the latex. The polymer is dispersed in an aqueous emulsion using an anionic or nonionic surfactant or mixtures thereof, typically a mixture of an alkaryl polyether alcohol and an alkali metal sulfosuccinate half ester of an ethoxylated alcohol. |