Patent ID: 7232863

Claim:
A method of making an ungelled addition polymer, comprising subjecting a linear unsaturated anhydride compound, an active hydrogen compound, and an epoxide compound to reaction conditions such that each of the following three reactions occur: (i) polymerization of polymerizable C═C bonds, (ii) ring opening of an anhydride functional group of the linear unsaturated anhydride compound by the active hydrogen compound to create an acid functional group, and (iii) reaction of the acid functional group resulting from the anhydride ring opening with the epoxide compound, wherein: (1) at the time of reaction (iii), the acid functional group resulting from the anhydride ring opening may be selected from an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a polymer, or a mixture thereof, and (2) the method does not include a step comprising the physical removal of any acid functional monomers or acid functional polymerization products.