Aqueous compositions with improved barrier properties

An aqueous composition comprising:

• (i) at least one first polymer in an amount in a range of from about 10 wt. % to about 90 wt. % derived from at least one first monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylenically substituted aromatic compounds and at least one second monomer selected from the group consisting of (meth) acrylonitrile, (meth) acrylamide, (meth) acrylic acid, alkyl (meth) acrylates and mixtures thereof;
• and
• (ii) at least one second polymer in an amount in a range of from about 10 wt. % to about 90 wt. % comprising the reaction product of a partially neutralized, acid-functional support resin and at least one ethylenically-unsaturated monomer selected from the group consisting of olefins, mono vinylidene aromatics, alpha beta ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acids and esters thereof, ethylenically-unsaturated dicarboxylic anhydride and mixtures thereof;
• and
• wherein the wt. % is based on a total weight of the aqueous composition, wherein a ratio of volume average particle size diameter of the at least one first polymer to volume average particle size diameter of the at least one second polymer is in a range of from about 20:1 to about 2:1, and
• wherein the at least one first monomer is different from the at least one second monomer.