Appeal No. 1998-2425 Page 2
Application No. 08/656,871
BACKGROUND
Appellants' invention relates to a pressure sensitive
adhesive comprising a dispersion formed by a particular core
and shell polymerization method that includes a step of
polymerizing an aqueous emulsion consisting of butyl acrylate
and both an anionic and a non-ionic emulsifier in the presence
of a water- soluble initiator. That butyl acrylate
polymerization step forms the core of the product adhesive
according to appellants. See, e.g., brief, pages 5 and 6 and
reply brief, page 2. As generally explained by appellants,
the core is free of acid with the shell of the core-shell
copolymer being formed by the step of emulsifying-in
(meth)acrylic acid to form a copolymer of butyl acrylate and
(meth)acrylic acid. See, e.g., reply brief, page 2. Appealed
claim 16 is reproduced below.
16. A pressure sensitive adhesive
comprising a dispersion containing a copolymer
(CP) comprised of units of butyl acrylate and
(meth)acrylic acid, prepared by a method
consisting essentially of:
under semi-continuous or batch
polymerization conditions, polymerizing an
aqeous emulsion (EM) consisting of butyl
acrylate, an anionic emulsifier and a non-ionic
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