Carpet coating compositions of improved stability formed from vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersions

An aqueous carpet binder or adhesive coating composition comprising:

• A) an emulsifier- and protective colloid-stabilized vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer therein comprises main co-monomers which include a vinyl acetate co-monomer copolymerized with ethylene and optionally copolymerized also with one or more additional different non-functional main co-monomer(s) based on vinyl esters of C1-C18 mono-carboxylic acids or C1-C18 esters of ethylenically unsaturated mono-carboxylic acids or C1-C18 diesters of ethylenically unsaturated di-carboxylic acids, said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, between about 0° C. to about 25° C.;
• and
• B) at least one carbon black based filler;
• wherein:
• i) said carbon black based filler is in the form of a dispersion/slurry with a solids content between 20 and 70%;
• ii) said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion is stabilized with a protective colloid component comprising a cellulose ether or a derivative thereof;
• and
• iii) said coating composition has a Brookfield viscosity upon initial preparation of from about 500 mPa·s to 10,000 mPa·s and varies in Brookfield viscosity by no more than about 100% after storage for up to about 7 days at a temperature between about 20° C. and 30° C.,
• and wherein a weight ratio of dry copolymer solids to dry filler solids is from about 2:1 to 10:1.