Patent ID: 7001949

Claim:
A method of forming a dry coating comprising the steps of: (A) preparing a plurality of comb copolymer particles by a polymerization method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a macromonomer aqueous emulsion comprising a plurality of water-insoluble particles of macromonomer, wherein: said step of forming said macromonomer comprises polymerizing in an aqueous emulsion at least one first ethylenically unsaturated monomer in the presence of a transition metal chelate chain transfer agent and a free radical initiator; and said macromonomer comprises polymerized units of at least one first ethylenically unsaturated monomer, said macromonomer further having: (i) a degree of polymerization of from 10 to 1000; (ii) at least one terminal ethylenically unsaturated groups; (iii) less than 5 weight percent polymerized acid-containing monomer, based on said macromonomer; and (iv) no polymerized mercaptan-olefin compounds; (b) forming a monomer composition comprising at least one second ethylenically unsaturated monomer; (c) combining at least a portion of said macromonomer aqueous emulsion and at least a portion of said monomer composition to form a polymerization reaction mixture; and (d) polymerizing said macromonomer with said second ethylenically unsaturated monomer in the presence of an initiator to produce said plurality of comb copolymer particles; (B) forming an aqueous coating composition comprising said plurality of comb copolymer particles; (C) applying said coating composition to a substrate; and (D) drying, or allowing to dry, said applied coating composition.