Patent ID: 7619045

Claim:
A process for the preparation in aqueous solution of water-soluble acrylic polymers or for the preparation in aqueous dispersion of water-dispersible acrylic polymers, comprising a) copolymerising, the total of the comonomers being 100 mol %: 1) 5 to 70 mol % of one or more monomer(s) (A) which are (alkoxy)polyalkylene glycol (meth)acrylates and/or ((alkoxy)polyalkylene glycol)(meth)acrylamides; 2) 5 to 95 mol % of one or more unsaturated carboxylic monomer(s) (B); and 3) 0 to 85 mol % of one or more hydrophobic monomer(s) (C) which are water insoluble; in the absence of a chain-transfer agent, in the absence of conventional radical initiators, and in the presence of a sufficient amount of a water-soluble alkoxyamine; b) terminating the water-soluble alkoxyamine present at a point after the conversion of at least 50% by weight of the monomers (A), (B) and (C) is obtained, but on or before 69% conversion by weight of the monomers (A), (B) and (C); and c) continuing the polymerisation in the presence of a conventional radical initiator, optionally in the presence of a chain-transfer agent, until a conversion of at least 90% by weight of the monomers (A), (B) and (C) is obtained.