Process for producing free radical polymerized copolymers

A process comprising the copolymerization of:

• (a) unsaturated carboxy ester monomer selected from at least one compound represented by formulas (I) or (II), said compound formed via the esterification of an unsaturated carboxylic acid or its corresponding anhydride with one or more monohydric aliphatic alcohols having an average carbon number of between about 6 and about 24, said unsaturated carboxy ester having the formula:
• wherein R′ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and COOR and wherein R is a C1 to C24 alkyl group and wherein R″ is hydrogen or methyl;
• and
• (b) a monomer selected from the group consisting of:
• (i) a vinyl ester having the formula:
• wherein R1 comprises an alkyl group containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• and;
• (ii) an olefin having the formula
• wherein R1 and R2 can independently be hydrogen, an alkyl having from 1 to 28 carbon atoms, or a substituted aryl group, provided both R1 and R2 are not hydrogen;
• in a reactor, comprising reacting said unsaturated carboxy ester with said vinyl ester or olefin monomer in the presence of a free radical initiator, wherein water is present during copolymerization in an amount of from about 200 to about 10,000 parts per million by weight of the copolymerization monomers and free radical initiator.