Preparation of polymer emulsions using a poly(vinyl alcohol) as protectivecolloid

We have prepared poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) emulsions using a new modified fully hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) with hydrophobic groups (RS-POL YMER) as a protective colloid. The stability of emulsion polymerization was excellent and the emulsion concurrently resulted in a good viscosity stabi lity at low temperatures and high water resistant film; which could not be achieved by using a conventional PVOH. The features of the emulsion are asc ribed to the characteristics of RS-POLYMER, which are stable at low tempera tures and have a high water resistance. The emulsion has the advantage that it can be applied in high wet strength adhesives for paper and wood use. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.