Solid polyvinyl ester and poly(meth)acrylate resins with high polydispersity

Polyvinyl ester compositions comprising solid resins, prepared by free-radically initiated suspension polymerization, having a polydispersity PD of 5 to 10 for a weight-average molecular weight Mw of 100,000 to <300,000, a PD of 10 to 20 for a weight-average molecular weight Mw of 300,000 to 500,000, and a PD of 15 to 50 for a weight-average molecular weight Mw of 500,000 to 1,500,000.

A process for preparing polyvinyl ester compositions comprising solid resins, prepared by free-radically initiated suspension polymerization, having a polydispersity PD of ≧5 for a weight-average molecular weight Mw of <300,000 and a polydispersity PD of ≧10 for a weight-average molecular weight Mw of 300,000 to 1,500,000, comprising free-radically initiated suspension polymerizing in aqueous medium at least one vinyl ester or (meth)acrylate base monomer, and optionally up to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the monomers, of further monomers copolymerizable therewith, in the presence of one or more molecular weight regulator compounds, wherein the molecular weight regulator compound is added such that the molar ratio of regulator to free monomer increases over the course of the polymerization, and the regulator is metered in only after a monomer conversion of 1% to 50% has been obtained.