Patent ID: 7638579

Claim:
A curable aqueous composition, comprising an aqueous solution of an oligomer or co-oligomer of ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid prepared by free radical addition polymerization, the oligomer or co-oligomer having a number average molecular weight of between 300 and 900, and a polyol, wherein the ratio of acid group equivalents to hydroxyl group equivalents is in the range of from about 1/0.1 to 1/1.5, wherein the oligomer or co-oligomer is prepared by free radical addition polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, salts thereof and mixtures thereof, or the co-oligomer comprises the polymerized units of at least one carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, and from about 3 to about 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of monomers in the curable composition, of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having a solubility of less than 2 g/100 g of water at 25° C. and, further wherein, the ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from the group consisting of ethyl (meth)acrylate, methyl methacrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, styrene, α-methyl styrene, mono-alkyl (meth)acrylamide, and di-alkyl (meth)acrylamide.