| abstract |
Improved flame retardant latex coatings are disclosed which comprise copolymers of ring-halogenated aromatic monomer units and alkyl acrylate/methacrylate monomer units, and which may additionally include at least one other monomer. In a first embodiment, the coatings include ring-brominated aromatic monomer units and alkyl acrylate and/or alkyl methacrylate monomer units. In a second embodiment, the coatings include these first two types of monomer units and further include third monomer units from unsaturated esters of saturated carboxylic acids, halogen-free aromatic monomers or unsaturated carboxylic acid monomers. In a third embodiment, the coatings include four monomer units, namely ring-brominated aromatic monomer units, alkyl acrylate/methacrylate monomer units, halogen-free aromatic monomer units and unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer units. In one aspect, the halogenated aromatic monomers are present in an amount to provide from 7 to 20 weight percent bromine in the final latex coating. In another aspect, the halogenated aromatic monomers include polybrominated monomers, particularly to provide monomers having an average of at least about 1.5 bromines per monomer unit. |