Patent ID: 7396891

Claim:
A process for preparing a coated substrate left comprising: (A) forming a first polymer by performing emulsion polymerization on monomers comprising (a) 5 to 50 percent, based on weight of the first polymer, of a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer containing an acidic functional group selected from one or more of carboxylic, sulfonic and phosphonic groups; (b) 1 up to 60 percent, based on weight of the first polymer, of a (meth)acrylic monomer containing one or more pendant reactive functional groups selected from hydroxy, thiol, and amino groups; (c) 10 to 70 percent based on weight of the first polymer, of one or more vinylaromatic monomers; (d) 15 to 90 percent, based on weight of the first polymer, of one or more (C 1 -C 20 )alkyl (meth)acrylate ester monomers; and (e) zero up to 10 percent, based on weight of the first polymer, of one or more other copolymerizable monomers; (B) forming an aqueous-based mixture by combining the first polymer with a polyfunctional crosslinker agent comprising pendant functional groups selected from one or more of isocyanate, carbodiimide, aziridinyl and epoxy groups; wherein, the first polymer has a number average molecular weight from greater than 50,000 up to 2,000,000; and the polyfunctional crosslinker agent is used in an amount sufficient to provide from 0.2 to 5 equivalents of pendant functional group per equivalent of corresponding pendant reactive functional group in the first polymer, and (C) applying the aqueous-based mixture to a substrate.