Alkylphenol ethoxylate-free surfactant package for polymer emulsions

Abstract

This invention is directed an alkylphenol ethoxylate-free surfactant system for preparation of polymer emulsions. The surfactant system comprises a combination of a specific active anionic surfactant (sodium laureth sulfate containing 1 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide) and a specific active nonionic surfactant (a secondary alcohol ethoxylate containing 7 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 3 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide.)

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An alkylphenol ethoxylate-free polymer emulsion formed by polymerizing one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers and optionally one or more crosslinking monomers, under emulsion polymerization conditions, in the presence of a combination of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate having 1 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate containing 7 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 3 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, said primary or secondary alcohol containing 7 to 18 carbons.  
     
     
         2 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 1  wherein the one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers is selected from the group consisting of a vinyl ester, ethylene, styrene, butadiene, a C 1-8  alkyl ester of acrylic acid, a C 1-8  alkyl ester of methacrylic acid, a diacrylate, an unsaturated carboxylic acid, acrylonitrile, and a vinyl ester of C 2-10  alcohols.  
     
     
         3 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 1  wherein the one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers is selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, ethylene, styrene, butadiene, methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, hexyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, and acrylonitrile.  
     
     
         4 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 1  wherein one or more crosslinking monomers are selected from the group consisting of a N-(C 1-4 ) alkylol (meth)acrylamide, i-butoxy methylacrylamide, acrylamidoglycolic acid, acrylamidobutyraldehyde, a dialkyl acetal of acrylamidobutyraldehyde, said alkyl having 1 to 4 carbons, and acrylamide in combination with one or more of the aforementioned crosslinking monomers.  
     
     
         5 . An alkylphenol ethoxylate-free polymer emulsion formed by polymerizing vinyl acetate, ethylene, and one or more crosslinking monomers, under emulsion polymerization conditions, in the presence of a combination of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate having 1 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate containing 7 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 3 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, said primary or secondary alcohol containing 7 to 18 carbons.  
     
     
         6 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 5  wherein the one or more crosslinking monomers are selected from the group consisting of a N-(C 1-4 ) alkylol (meth)acrylamide, i-butoxy methylacrylamide, acrylamidoglycolic acid, acrylamidobutyraldehyde, a dialkyl acetal of acrylamidobutyraldehyde, said alkyl having 1 to 4 carbons, and acrylamide in combination with one or more of the aforementioned crosslinking monomers.  
     
     
         7 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 5  wherein the one or more crosslinking monomers is N-methylol acrylamide.  
     
     
         8 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 5  comprising 50 to 90 wt % vinyl acetate, 5 to 49 wt % ethylene, and 1 to 10 wt % of N-methylol acrylamide, based on the total weight of monomers, and the weight ratio of anionic to nonionic surfactant ranges from 4:1 to 5:1.  
     
     
         9 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 8  comprising 70 to 85 wt % vinyl acetate, 10 to 30 wt % ethylene, and 3 to 8 wt % of N-methylol acrylamide, based on the total weight of monomers.  
     
     
         10 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 8  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate containing 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate having 12 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 9 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         11 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 8  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate containing 4 moles of ethylene oxide and said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate having 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         12 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 8  wherein said nonionic surfactant is tridecanol ethoxylate containing 9 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         13 . The polymer emulsion of  claim 8  wherein the weight ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant ranges from 65:35.  
     
     
         14 . A method of making an alkylphenol ethoxylate-free aqueous polymer emulsion which comprises reacting one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers and optionally one or more crosslinking monomers, under emulsion polymerization conditions, in the presence of a combination of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate having 1 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate containing 7 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 3 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, said primary or secondary alcohol containing 7 to 18 carbons.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers is selected from the group consisting of a vinyl ester, ethylene, styrene, butadiene, a C 1-8  alkyl ester of acrylic, a C 1-8  alkyl ester of methacrylic acid, a diacrylate, an unsaturated carboxylic acid, acrylonitrile, and a vinyl ester of C 2-10  alcohols.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers is selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, ethylene, styrene, butadiene, methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, hexyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, and acrylonitrile.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the one or more crosslinking monomers is selected from the group consisting of a N-(C 1-4 ) alkylol (meth)acrylamide, i-butoxy methylacrylamide, acrylamidoglycolic acid, acrylamidobutyraldehyde, a dialkyl acetal of acrylamidobutyraldehyde, said alkyl having 1 to 4 carbons, and acrylamide in combination with one or more of the aforementioned crosslinking monomers.  
     
     
         18 . A method of making an alkylphenol ethoxylate-free aqueous polymer emulsion which comprises reacting vinyl, acetate, ethylene, and one or more crosslinking monomers, under emulsion polymerization conditions, in the presence of a combination of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate having 1 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate containing 7 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 3 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, said primary or secondary alcohol containing 7 to 18 carbons.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the one or more crosslinking monomers is selected from the group consisting of a N-(C 1-4 ) alkylol (meth)acrylamide, i-butoxy methylacrylamide, acrylamidoglycolic acid, acrylamidobutyraldehyde, a dialkyl acetal of acrylamidobutyraldehyde, said alkyl having 1 to 4 carbons, and acrylamide in combination with one or more of the aforementioned crosslinking monomers.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the self-crosslinking monomer is N-methylol acrylamide.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the alkylphenol ethoxylate-free aqueous polymer emulsion comprises 50 to 90 wt % vinyl acetate, 5 to 49 wt % ethylene, and 1 to 10 wt % of N-methylol acrylamide, based on the total weight of monomers, and the weight ratio of anionic to nonionic surfactant ranges from 4:1 to 5:1.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the alkylphenol ethoxylate-free aqueous polymer emulsion comprises 70 to 85 wt % vinyl acetate, 10 to 30 wt % ethylene, and 3 to 8 wt % of N-methylol acrylamide, based on the total weight of monomers.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate containing 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate having 12 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 9 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate containing 4 moles of ethylene oxide and said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate having 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said nonionic surfactant is tridecanol ethoxylate containing 9 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the weight ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant is 65:35.  
     
     
         27 . A method of forming a bonded and creped type web which comprises; applying a polymer emulsion of  claim 5  to said nonwoven web to form a coated nonwoven web, and subsequently creping said coated nonwoven web in a crepe process.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the crepe process is a double recrepe process.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the crosslinking monomer is N-methylol acrylamide.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the polymer emulsion comprises 50 to 90 wt % vinyl acetate, 5 to 49 wt % ethylene, and 1 to 10 wt % of N-methylol acrylamide, based on the total weight of monomers.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the polymer emulsion comprises 70 to 85 wt % vinyl acetate, 10 to 30 wt % ethylene, and 3 to 8 wt % of N-methylol acrylamide, based on the total weight of monomers.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate containing 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate having 12 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide or an ethoxylated branched primary alcohol containing 9 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said anionic surfactant is a sodium laureth sulfate containing 4 moles of ethylene oxide and said nonionic surfactant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate having 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said nonionic surfactant is tridecanol ethoxylate containing 9 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the weight ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant is 65:35.