# US 7,608,660 B2 · Method of coating paper with copolymers of vinyl alcohol and itaconic acid

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,608,660 B2
- Document ID: US7608660B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/077,297
- Filed: 2008-03-17
- Published: 2008-07-17
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2003-12-15
- Assignees: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Inventors: Elliott Echt; Peter A. Morken; G. Michael Collins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608660B2

## CPC

- C09D 129/04: Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
- D21H 19/20: comprising macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D21H 19/58: Polymers or oligomers of diolefins, aromatic vinyl monomers or unsaturated acids or derivatives thereof
- D21H 19/60: Polyalkenylalcohols; Polyalkenylethers; Polyalkenylesters
- C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D)
- D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The present invention is a composition useful for coating the surface of paper wherein the coating composition is an aqueous solution comprising less than 40 wt % water and consisting essentially of a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer that is at least about 95% hydrolyzed, and a process for preparing the same.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of coating a paper article comprising the steps of: (1) preparing a high-solids paper coating composition having an aqueous phase, by adding to water, as a dry solid component, a copolymer comprising units of vinyl alcohol, alkyl acrylate, itaconic acid and optionally vinyl acetate, said copolymer comprising i) less than about 5 mol % vinyl acetate units; (ii) about 1 mol % to about 9 mol % itaconic acid units: (iii) at least about 90 mol % vinyl alcohol units and (iv) about 1 mol % to about 9 mol % alkyl acrylate units; thereby forming a paper coating composition wherein said copolymer is completely dissolved in said aqueous phase of the paper coating composition and wherein the amount of water present in said aqueous phase is such that the concentration of water in the paper coating composition is less than 40% by weight, based on the total weight of the paper coating composition and (2) applying the paper coating composition to the surface of a paper article.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein the alkyl acrylate units of the copolymer are present in the form of lactones.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein said paper coating composition is a solution.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein said paper coating composition is an aqueous mixture.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method of claim 4 wherein said aqueous mixture is selected from the group consisting of aqueous slurries, aqueous dispersions and aqueous suspensions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein the alkyl groups of said alkyl acrylate units have from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method of claim 6 wherein the alkyl groups of the alkyl acrylate units have from 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method of claim 7 wherein the alkyl groups of the alkyl acrylate units have 1 carbon atom.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein the copolymer comprises less than about 3 mol % vinyl acetate units.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method of claim 9 wherein the copolymer comprises less than about 1 mol % vinyl acetate units.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein the paper coating composition is prepared at a temperature of less than 30° C.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is soluble in the aqueous phase at a temperature of less than or equal to 25° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is at least about 95% hydrolyzed.