Thermosettable acrylic resin composition for powder coating

A powdered thermosettable acrylic resin composition for powder coating comprising a mixture consisting essentially of

• A. 100 parts by weight of an acrylic resin having a glass transition temperature of 10.degree. to 75.degree. C. and a weight average molecular weight of from 8,000 to 100,000, made by copolymerizing at least one nonfunctional monomer selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, 2-ethyloctyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, benzyl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate, 2-ethyloctyl methacrylate, dodecyl methacrylate, benzyl methacrylate, and phenyl methacrylate in an amount of about 20 to 97% by weight based on said acrylic resin with (a) at least one monomer containing an epoxy group selected from the group consisting of glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, .beta.-methylglycidyl acrylate, .beta.-methylglycidyl methacrylte, n-glycidylacrylamide, allyl glycidyl ether, and glycidyl vinylsulfonate in an amount of 2 to 28% by weight based on said acrylic resin and (b) at least one monomer containing a carboxyl group or an acid anhydride group selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, citraconic acid, monoalkyl itaconates, monoalkyl fumarates, monoalkyl maleates, monoalkyl citraconates, itaconic anhydride, maleic anhydride, and citraconic anhydride in an amount of 0.1 to 8% by weight based on said acrylic resin, wherein the gram equivalent ratio of said carboxyl groups to said epoxy groups in said acrylic resin is in the range from 1/2 to 1/20 (provided that the gram equivalent of an acid anhydride group is assumed to be equivalent to 2 gram equivalents of the carboxyl group) and
• B. 0.5 to 25 parts by weight of a curing agent selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids, anhydrides or polycarboxylic acids, and polycarboxylic hydrazides.