Binder compositions comprising boric acid or boric acid salt

A solid binder composition comprising:

• in the form of a powder, a water-insoluble polymer
• a) a water-insoluble polymer in the form of dispersed polymer particles having a glass transition temperature in a range from −50° C. to 50° C., obtained by free-radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers M, the monomers M comprising:
• a1) 80% to 99.9% by weight, based on a total amount of monomers M, of at least one neutral, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M1 of low water-solubility, and
• a2) 0.1% to 20% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers M, of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2 which comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group and a carboxamido group (CONH2);
• and
• b) at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid and a salt of boric acid.

A method of modifying at least one property of an adhesive, the method comprising combining at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid and a salt of boric acid the adhesive,

• wherein the adhesive comprises a water-insoluble polymer obtained by free-radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers M, the monomers M comprising:
• 80% to 99.9% by weight, based on a total amount of monomers M, of at least one neutral, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M1 of low water-solubility;
• and
• 0.1% to 20% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers M, of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2 which comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group and a carboxamido group (CONH2).

A method of modifying at least one property of a polymer-bound coating, the method comprising combining at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid and a salt of boric acid, with the polymer-bound coating,

• wherein the polymer-bound coating comprises as binder a water-insoluble polymer obtained by free-radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers M, the monomers M comprising:
• 80% to 99.9% by weight, based on a total amount of monomers M, of at least one neutral, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M1 of low water-solubility;
• and
• 0.1% to 20% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers M, of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2 which comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group and a carboxamido group (CONH2).