Polymer, process and composition
View Patent ↗There is described an aqueous urethane acrylate copolymer dispersion comprising a) from 10 to 95 wt-% of a polyurethane copolymer, and b) from 5 to 90 wt-% of a polyvinyl copolymer, where vinyl copolymer (b) comprises from 30 parts to 100 parts by weight of biorenewable monomer(s)—such as itaconic acid, itaconate diesters and/or diamides for example dimethyl itaconate (DMI) or dibutyl itaconate (DBI) and where optionally the composition has a residual monomer level of less than 5000 ppm.
1. An aqueous copolymer composition comprising:
a) 10 to 95 wt % of a polyurethane copolymer, and
b) 5 to 90 wt % of a polyvinyl copolymer which is a polymerization reaction product of a monomer composition comprising from 30 parts to 100 parts by weight of at least one C 4-6 unsaturated diacid and/or derivative thereof per 100 parts by weight of the monomer composition, wherein the at least one C 4-6 unsaturated diacid and/or derivative thereof comprises an amount of carbon 14 sufficient to produce a decay of at least about 1.5 disintegrations per minute per gram carbon (dpm/gC); and wherein
the polyvinyl copolymer has a residual monomer level of less than 5000 ppm as determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS).
2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one C 4-6 unsaturated diacid and/or derivative thereof comprises at least one mono-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid having from 4 to 6 carbon atoms in the acidic moiety and/or a derivative thereof.
3. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one mono-ethylenically unsaturated C 4-6 dicarboxylic acid and/or derivative thereof comprises at least one pentendioic acid and/or derivative thereof.
4. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one pentendioic acid and/or derivative thereof comprises at least one itaconate functional monomer.
5. The composition according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one itaconate functional monomer comprises at least one di(C 4-10 alkyl) itaconate.
6. The composition according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one di(C 4-10 alkyl) itaconate comprises at least one dibutyl itaconate (DBI).
7. The composition according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one itaconate functional monomer comprises at least one di(C 1-3 alkyl) itaconate.
8. The composition according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one di(C 1-3 alkyl) itaconate comprises at least one dimethyl itaconate (DMI).
9. A process for preparing an aqueous polymer composition as claimed in claim 1 , the process comprising the steps of:
(i) preparing an aqueous dispersion of a polyurethane copolymer;
(ii) preparing an aqueous polyvinyl copolymer dispersion, optionally in the presence of the polyurethane obtained from step (i), from a monomer composition, comprising 30 to 100 parts by weight of at least one C 4-6 unsaturated diacid and/or derivative thereof per 100 parts by weight of the monomer composition, wherein at least one C 4-6 unsaturated diacid and/or derivative thereof comprises an amount of carbon 14 sufficient to produce a decay of at least about 1.5 dpm/gC;
(iii) optionally mixing the polyurethane (a) obtained from step (i) with the polyvinyl copolymer (b) obtained from step (ii) to form an aqueous urethane acrylate dispersion.
10. A polymer composition obtained by the process according to claim 9 .
11. A coating composition comprising the polymer composition according to claim 1 .
12. A substrate and/or article having a coating thereon which comprises the coating composition according to claim 11 .
13. A method for preparing a coated substrate and/or article comprising the steps of applying a coating which comprises the coating composition according to claim 11 onto the substrate and/or article and optionally curing the coating composition in situ to form a cured coating thereon.