Gencorp, Inc.

David M Lee

Raymond J Weinert

Satish C Sharma

Ira John Westerman

John P Kovalchin

Nick G Triantafillopoulos

A latex binder composition comprises occluded composite particles containing at least a vinyl ester homopolymer or a copolymer thereof polymerized from acrylate and/or ethylene monomers, and a polymer polymerized from conjugated diene and/or vinyl substituted aromatic monomers and desirably unsaturated carboxylic acid monomers. The occluded composite particles are produced in the absence of crosslinking agents by first polymerizing the vinyl esters and optional acrylate and/or ethylene monomers, and subsequently in situ polymerizing the conjugated diene and/or vinyl substituted aromatic, etc., monomers in the presence of the vinyl ester latex particles. The occluded composite-particle latex contains phase separated domains which are neither a core-shell nor an inverted core-shell particle and provide properties which are superior to physical blends of the two classes of polymers when utilized as binders in paper coating formulations. Such properties include excellent ink receptivity, low mottle, good blister resistance, good coating strength, good brightness, and the like.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

David M Lee