Aqueous binders for granular and/or fibrous substrates

An aqueous binder composition comprising, as essential binder components,

• a) at least one polymer P constructed from
• ≧0.1 and ≦15 wt % of at least one acid-functional ethylenically unsaturated monomer and/or at least one α,β-monoethylenically unsaturated C3 to C6 mono- or dicarboxamide (monomers A)
• ≧8.0 and ≦30 wt % of at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid nitrile or dinitrile (monomers B)
• ≧0 and ≦5.0 wt % of at least one crosslinking monomer having two or more nonconjugated ethylenically unsaturated groups (monomers C)
• ≧0 and ≦10 wt % of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated silane compound (monomers D)
• ≧20 and ≦70 wt % of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer whose homopolymer has a glass transition temperature≦30° C. (monomers E) and which differs from the monomers A to D, and
• ≧25 and ≦71.9 wt % of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer whose homopolymer has a glass transition temperature≧50° C. (monomers F) and which differs from the monomers A to D,
• in polymerized form, wherein the amounts of monomers A to F sum to 100 wt %, and
• b) at least one saccharide compound S, the amount of which is determined such that it is ≧10 and ≦400 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of polymer P, and
• where the overall amount of additional formaldehyde-containing binder components is ≦50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the summed overall amounts of polymer P and saccharide compound S.