Repulpable hot melt polymer/wax compositions for fibrous products

Abstract

Hot melt wax compositions are described that render fibrous products such as paper, paperboard and corrugated paper containers water-resistant at room temperature, but enable such articles to be repulped and recycled when the coated articles are repulped in a heated nearly neutral to alkaline aqueous medium. The compositions comprise from about 20% to 97.5% by weight of a water-repellent wax that is a solid at 20.degree. C.; from about 2.5% to 50% by weight of an addition polymer of from about 50 to 95 mole percent of an ethylene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid or anhydride and from about 5 to 50 mole percent of at least one additional ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from the group consisting of 1-alkenes having from about 4 to 60 carbon atoms wherein the polymer is dispersible in the water-repellent wax; optionally from about 1 to 90 mole percent of the carboxyl groups in the polymer may be further modified by reaction with a substituted or unsubstituted monoalcohol or monoamine; and optionally, from about 5% to 75% by weight of at least one fatty acid selected from the group consisting of fatty acids containing from about 12 to 48 carbon atoms. The compositions are solid at 20.degree. C., but start to become fluid between about 50.degree. C. to 95.degree. C.