Polyacrylates and their use as levelling agents for powder coatings

Polyacrylate produced by a process comprising steps of:

• (A) polymerization of monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, their esters with C.sub.1-4 alcohols, and maleic anhydride, optionally together with other monomers to an extent of not more than 30% by weight of the total monomers polymerized;
• (B) polymer-analog reaction of the polymer obtained in step (A) with alcohols a) and b), alcohol a) being an aliphatic linear or branched C.sub.6-36 alcohol or a mixture of such alcohols and alcohol b) being an alcohol with an imide structure corresponding to the following general formula:
• ##STR3## in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently of one another represent hydrogen or a C.sub.1-4 alkyl group or together may form a C.sub.5 or C.sub.6 ring,
• R.sup.3 is a linear or branched alkylene group containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a cyclic C.sub.5 or C.sub.6 alkyl group and
• the C--C double bond may be hydrogenated, only about 70 mole-% of the functional acid or ester groups of the polymer produced in step A reacting in the polymer-analog (trans)esterifcation.