Low-formaldehyde latex binder

Abstract

A latex binder which has very low or nil amounts of aldehyde such as formaldehyde is made utilizing a compound having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is generally an alkyl having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, with methyl being preferred; wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, independently, is preferably hydrogen, or allyl, or an alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alkyl-substituted aromatic having from 7 to 15 carbon atoms, wherein R.sup.4 is an alkylene having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with ethylene being preferred; and wherein R.sup.5 is hydrogen or an alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with methyl being preferred. The latex binder is generally an emulsion or latex copolymer made from at least one or more conjugated dienes having a total of from 4 to 10 carbon atoms with butadiene being preferred and one or more vinyl-substituted aromatics having from 8 to 14 carbon atoms, with styrene being preferred. The amount of the above formulation compound is generally from at least 0.05 to about 7 parts by weight based upon 100 parts by weight of the one or more conjugated dienes and the vinyl-substituted aromatic monomers. The latex binder is generally free of crosslinking agents, has good stability, and can be used to bind a paper-coating composition to a cellulose substrate, or to bind nonwoven fibers together. The latex binder generally contains 10 parts or less by weight of formaldehyde per million parts by weight and desirably contains nil, that is, no detectable amounts of formaldehyde therein, even after extended periods of time. e.g., 28 days.