SYNTHESIS OF CROSS-LINKABLE ACRYLIC LATEXES BY EMULSION POLYMERIZATION IN THE PRESENCE OF ETHERIFIED MELAMINE-FORMALDEHYDE (MF) RESINS

The feasibility of making crosslinkable latexes by emulsion polymeriza tion in the presence of etherified melamine-formaldhyde (MF) resins wa s demonstrated. In favorable cases the resulting latexes croslinked at ambient temperatures to give tough, solvent-resistant films. High lev els of acid catalyst are required. A monomeric, hydrophobic MF resin e therified with about five moles of methanol and one mole of isooctanol gave better overall results than monomeric MF resins etherified entir ely with methanol, which are more hydrophilic, or with polymeric MF re sins etherified with butanol, which are less miscible in acrylic copol ymers with compositions similar to the crosslinkable latex.