Aqueous bio-renewable vinyl polymer composition

1. An aqueous vinyl polymer coating composition comprising at least:

a) a vinyl polymer A, comprising:

i) 1 to 45 wt % of acid-functional olefinically unsaturated monomers;

ii) 0 to 20 wt % of crosslinking-functional olefinically unsaturated monomers; and

iii) 99 to 50 wt % of non-acid functional, non-crosslinking monomers selected from the group consisting of olefinically unsaturated monomers and arylalkylene monomers;

where the weight percentages of each of (a)(i), (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) are calculated based on the total of (a)(i)+(a)(ii)+(a)(iii)=100%; and where

said polymer A having a weight average molecular weight within the range of from 1,000 to 150,000 g/mol and an acid value >5 mgKOH/g; and

b) a vinyl polymer B, comprising:

i) 0 to 5 wt % of acid-functional olefinically unsaturated monomers;

ii) 0 to 25 wt % of crosslinking-functional olefinically unsaturated monomers; and

iii) 100 to 75 wt % of non-acid functional, non-crosslinking monomers selected from the group consisting of olefinically unsaturated monomers and arylalkylene monomers;

where the weight percentages of each of (b)(i), (b)(ii) and (b)(iii) are calculated based on the total of (b)(i)+(b)(ii)+(b)(iii)=100%; and where

said polymer B having a weight average molecular weight of at least 80,000 g/mol and an acid value <35 mg KOH/g; wherein

I) the weight % of olefinically unsaturated and arylalkylene monomers used to form polymer A and polymer B when calculated based on the total amount of (a)(i)+(a)(ii)+(a)(iii)+(b)(i)+(b)(ii)+(b)(iii) being 100% are in a respective ratio of 5:75 to 95:25;

II) at least 10% by weight of the total amount of monomers (a)(i)+(a)(ii)+(a)(iii)+(b)(i)+(b)(ii)+(b)(iii) used to form polymer A and polymer B is derived from at least one bio-renewable olefinically unsaturated monomer such that the amount of C14 isotope in the polymer A and/or the polymer B comprise at least about 1.5 dpm/gC of carbon-14;

III) the acid value of polymer A is greater than the acid value of polymer B by at least 10 mgKOH;

IV) polymer A and polymer B have a glass transition temperature difference of at least 20° C.;

V) polymer B is prepared in the presence of polymer A;

VI) said coating composition on drying has a Koenig hardness of at least 20 sec; and

VII) said coating composition has a minimum film forming temperature of <55° C.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid-functional monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic anhydride, methylene malonic acid, itaconic acid, crotonic acid and fumaric acid.

3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the bio-renewable olefinically unsaturated monomer is at least one monomer selected from the group consisting bio-renewable (meth)acrylic acid and bio-renewable alkyl (meth)acrylate.

4. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the bio-renewable olefinically unsaturated monomer is at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of α-methylene butyrolactone, α-methylene valerolactone, α-methylene γ-R 1 butyrolactone wherein R 1 can be an optionally substituted alkyl or optionally substituted aryl; dialkyl itaconates; monoalkyl itaconates, itaconic acid, itaconic anhydride, crotonic acid and alkyl esters thereof, citraconic acid and alkyl esters thereof, methylene malonic acid and mono and dialkyl esters thereof, citraconic anhydride, and mesaconic acid and alkyl esters thereof.

5. The composition according to claim 4 , wherein the bio-renewable olefinically unsaturated monomer is at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of N—R 2 , α-methylene butyrolactam wherein R 2 can be an optionally substituted alkyl or optionally substituted aryl; N—R 2 , α-methylene γ-R 1 butyrolactam; N-alkyl itaconimids; itaconmonoamids; itacondiamids; dialkyl itaconamides, mono alkyl itaconamides; furfuryl (meth)acrylate; and fatty acid functional (meth)acrylates.

6. The composition according to claim 1 , which further comprises a crosslinking agent which is reactable with any crosslinking functional group of the polymer A and/or the polymer B on subsequent drying of the coating composition to effect covalent bond crosslinking.

7. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the functional groups to provide crosslinking are selected from the group consisting of epoxy groups, hydroxyl groups, ketone groups and aldehyde groups.

8. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein depending on the crosslinking functionality in the polymer A and in the polymer B, the crosslinking agent is selected from the group consisting of a polyisocyanate, melamine, glycoluril, a polyamine, and a polyhydrazide.

9. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition has less than 2 wt % of added surfactant by weight of monomers used to make the vinyl polymer A and the vinyl polymer B.

10. The composition according to claim 1 , having a VOC level of less than 100 g/L.

11. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid value of the polymer B is <10 mg KOH/g.

12. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the olefinically unsaturated monomer to the arylalkylene monomer is 5:70 to 95:30.

13. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein at least 20% by weight of the total amount of monomers (a)(i)+(a)(ii)+(a)(iii)+(b)(i)+(b)(ii)+(b)(iii) used to form polymer A and polymer B is derived from the at least one bio-renewable olefinically unsaturated monomer.

14. A film, polish, varnish, lacquer, paint, ink or adhesive comprising a composition according to claim 1 .

15. A coated substrate comprising a substrate selected from the group consisting of wood, plastic, paper and metal, and a protective coating comprising the composition according to claim 1 on the substrate.