Polymers containing partially neutralized silanols

Abstract

A shelf-stable water-borne dispersion or solution that cures rapidly and at low temperatures when coated onto a substrate can be prepared with an aqueous-based solution or stable aqueous dispersion of a polymer having a backbone containing pendant silanol groups which are sufficiently neutralized to inhibit silanol condensation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A latent crosslinking composition comprising a shelf-stable aqueous-based solution or dispersion of a polymer having a carbon-containing backbone attached to silanol groups which are sufficiently neutralized to inhibit silanol condensation.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of    claim 1    wherein the backbone is attached to the silanol groups through a tertiary amine, a secondary amine, or a sulfide group.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of    claim 2    wherein the silanol is a partially neutralized silanetriol.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of    claim 3    wherein the backbone is attached to the silanetriol by way of a secondary amine.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of    claim 3    wherein the secondary amine is connected to the polymer backbone through a remnant of an electrophile.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of    claim 5    wherein the electrophile is a benzyl halide or an oxirane.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of    claim 1    which is prepared by a reaction comprising the step or steps of either: 
 a) contacting in the presence of water, a nucleophilic silanol with a solution or dispersion of an electrophilic polymer; or  
 b) contacting in the presence of water, a nucleophilic silanol and an ethylenically unsaturated electrophilic monomer to form an ethylenically unsaturated silanol, then polymerizing or copolymerizing the ethylenically unsaturated silanol;  
 wherein the nucleophilic silanol is sufficiently neutralized to inhibit condensation.  
 
     
     
         8 . The composition of    claim 7    wherein the nucleophilic portion is an amine, an alcohol, a phenol, a mercaptan, a carboxylate, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of    claim 8    wherein the nucleophilic portion is an amine.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of    claim 8    wherein the electrophile is an oxirane, a benzyl halide, a benzyl quaternary ammonium salt, an allyl halide, an alkyl halide, an ester, an ether, or an anhydride, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of    claim 10    wherein the nucleophilic silanol is an alkali metal salt of an aminosilanetriol.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of    claim 9    which comprises a stable aqueous dispersion of an electrophilic polymer that contains pendant oxirane groups formed from the polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate and at least one non-interfering monomer.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of    claim 12    wherein the mole percent of structural units of glycidyl methacrylate is 1 to 50 percent based on the total moles of monomers used to prepare the electrophilic polymer.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of    claim 12    wherein the alkali metal salt of the aminosilanol is a potassium salt of 3-aminopropylsilanetriol or N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl-silanetriol.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of    claim 11    wherein the alkali metal salt of the aminosilanol is a potassium salt of 3-aminopropylsilanetriol.  
     
     
         16 . The curative of    claim 7    which is a stable aqueous dispersion having a pH of not less than 7.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of    claim 11    which is a stable aqueous dispersion having a pH of not less than 9.  
     
     
         18 . A latent crosslinking composition comprising a shelf-stable aqueous-based solution or dispersion of a polymer having a backbone that contains silanetriol groups which are sufficiently neutralized to inhibit silanetriol condensation, which silanetriol groups are connected to the backbone through a secondary amine, an ether, or a sulfide group.  
     
     
         19 . A latent curative comprising a stable aqueous dispersion of a polymer containing partially neutralized silanetriol groups prepared by reacting at a pH greater than 7, an alkali metal salt of 3-aminopropylsilanetriol or N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylsilanetriol and an electrophilic polymer that contains pendant oxirane groups or pendant benzyl halide groups.  
     
     
         20 . The curative of    claim 19    wherein the electrophilic polymer contains pendant oxirane groups formed from the polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate and at least one non-interfering monomer.