Water-based polymer emulsions for opaque films and coatings applications on flexible substrates

Abstract

A process of preparing a water-based emulsion includes adding a first monomer feed to a reaction vessel in the presence of a first initiator and water to form an acid-functional polymer; neutralizing the acid-functional polymer to form a particulate polymer; and adding a second monomer feed to the reaction vessel in the presence of a second initiator to form an agglomerated polymer; where the process is a one-pot process. The first monomer feed includes a unbranched (meth)acrylate monomer, a (meth)acrylic acid monomer, a branched (meth)acrylate, and a styrenic monomer; the second monomer feed includes a hydrophobic monomer; the water-based emulsion includes the agglomerated polymer; the agglomerated polymer includes the particulate polymer; and the agglomerated polymer having an aggregated drupelet morphology. The agglomerated polymers may be used in high opacity emulsions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.