Acrylic ammoniation

An amine-substituted acrylic polymer prepared by reacting an acrylic polymer having glycidyl functionality with amine, the improvement wherein the acrylic polymer has a number average molecular weight about from 1,000 to 20,000 and about from 10 to 40 weight percent glycidyl methacrylate units;

• the acrylic polymer is reacted with an amine of the general formula RNH.sub.2 wherein R is alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms;
• the acrylic polymer and the amine are reacted at a temperature of about from 25 degrees to 140 degrees C. in an organic liquid which is a solvent for the acrylic polymer, the amine and the resulting amine-substituted polymer formed;
• the organic liquid is present in an amount which provides a polymer concentration of about from 20 to 70% by weight before amine addition;
• the amine is present to provide a mole ratio of amine to epoxy units of about from 5:1 to 50:1;
• and the reaction pressure is about from 1 to 30 atmospheres, to provide a polymer having about from 5 to 20 amine groups per polymer chain.