Method of preparing acrylic polymers and products produced thereby

A polymer composition comprising a carboxyl group containing polymer and at least one stabilizer polymer, wherein said polymer composition is prepared by polymerizing a free-radically polymerizable monomer composition in a non-aqueous medium comprising:

• (a) at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid containing monomer or anhydride thereof;
• (b) optionally at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer different from (a) but copolymerizable therewith;
• and optionally (c) at least one crosslinking monomer containing at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups;
• in the presence of said at least one stabilizer polymer, wherein said at least one stabilizer polymer comprises repeating units prepared by polymerizing a stabilizer monomer composition comprising N-vinyl pyrrolidone, at least one short chain alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid selected from a C1-C5 alkyl (meth)acrylate and at least one long chain alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid selected from a C10-C22 alkyl (meth)acrylate, wherein the amount of said N-vinyl pyrrolidone in said at least one stabilizer polymer ranges from about 32 to about 82 mol. % and said at least one short chain alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid and at least one long chain alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid ranges from about 68 to about 18 mol. %.