A method of forming latex composite polymer particles produces hydrolysis resistant, composite polymer particles that can be used in aqueous latex compositions. Each of the latex composite polymer particles includes a first phase comprising a vinyl ester oligomer or polymer; optionally, an intermediate phase; and at least one second phase comprising an acrylic oligomer or polymer, a styrene oligomer or polymer, an acrylic-styrene copolymer, or mixtures thereof. The second phase and/or the intermediate phase at least partially encapsulates the first phase. The intermediate and second phases are more hydrophobic than the first phase. Optionally, the first phase, the second phase, and/or the intermediate phase may further comprise a cross-linking agent.

The present invention provides a method for crosslinking an acrylic emulsion with a (meth)acrylate monomer or a (meth)acrylate oligomer including adding a base acrylic emulsion to a vessel, adding at least one (meth)acrylate crosslinker to the vessel, incorporating the at least one (meth)acrylate crosslinker into the base acrylic emulsion to create a two-phase system including water and a phase including crosslinkers of the at least one (meth)acrylate crosslinker inside acrylic emulsion particles of the base acrylic emulsion, applying the two-phase system to a surface, and curing the two-phase system to create a final system including a continuous film and crosslinked crosslinkers.

The present invention provides a method for crosslinking an acrylic emulsion with a (meth)acrylate monomer or a (meth)acrylate oligomer including adding a base acrylic emulsion to a vessel, adding at least one (meth)acrylate crosslinker to the vessel, incorporating the at least one (meth)acrylate crosslinker into the base acrylic emulsion to create a two-phase system including water and a phase including crosslinkers of the at least one (meth)acrylate crosslinker inside acrylic emulsion particles of the base acrylic emulsion, applying the two-phase system to a surface, and curing the two-phase system to create a final system including a continuous film and crosslinked crosslinkers.

The present invention provides: a novel production technique that enables production of a polymer whose molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are controlled and production of a polymer having a complicated structure in a desirably controlled manner using commercially available materials without using a radical polymerization initiator or a special material for use in living radical polymerization and without the need for strict polymerization conditions; and a radical polymerization initiating group-containing compound for use in the technique. The present invention relates to: a method for producing a polymer, the method including a polymerization step of mixing and warming (1) a radically polymerizable monomer, (2) an organic compound wherein at least one group that functions as a group for initiating polymerization of the monomer and that has a structure represented by formula 1 or formula 2 (X in the formula represents Cl or Br) is introduced in a molecule of the organic compound, and (3) an iodine-containing compound, thereby initiating, from the group having the structure, radical polymerization accompanied by a termination reaction; and the organic compound of (2) for use in the method.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides: a novel production technique that enables production of a polymer whose molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are controlled and production of a polymer having a complicated structure in a desirably controlled manner using commercially available materials without using a radical polymerization initiator or a special material for use in living radical polymerization and without the need for strict polymerization conditions; and a radical polymerization initiating group-containing compound for use in the technique. The present invention relates to: a method for producing a polymer, the method including a polymerization step of mixing and warming (1) a radically polymerizable monomer, (2) an organic compound wherein at least one group that functions as a group for initiating polymerization of the monomer and that has a structure represented by formula 1 or formula 2 (X in the formula represents Cl or Br) is introduced in a molecule of the organic compound, and (3) an iodine-containing compound, thereby initiating, from the group having the structure, radical polymerization accompanied by a termination reaction; and the organic compound of (2) for use in the method.

##STR00001##

A composition for preparing an optical functional layer capable of forming an optical film having an excellent surface condition and excellent lamination properties with another layer, includes a liquid crystal compound and a copolymer, and the copolymer includes a constitutional unit corresponding to a fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomer represented by Formula I, and a constitutional unit corresponding to a monomer represented by Formula II. In Formulae I and II, R.sup.1, R.sup.10, and R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one carbon atom has a fluorine atom as a substituent, and L represents a divalent linking group constituted by at least one selected from the group consisting of O, (CO)O, O(CO), a divalent chain group, and a divalent aliphatic cyclic group.

##STR00001##

A composition for preparing an optical functional layer capable of forming an optical film having an excellent surface condition and excellent lamination properties with another layer, includes a liquid crystal compound and a copolymer, and the copolymer includes a constitutional unit corresponding to a fluoroaliphatic group-containing monomer represented by Formula I, and a constitutional unit corresponding to a monomer represented by Formula II. In Formulae I and II, R.sup.1, R.sup.10, and R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one carbon atom has a fluorine atom as a substituent, and L represents a divalent linking group constituted by at least one selected from the group consisting of O, (CO)O, O(CO), a divalent chain group, and a divalent aliphatic cyclic group.

##STR00001##

A fluorine-containing copolymer includes: a repeating unit represented by General Formula (I) and a repeating unit represented by General Formula (II), a composition containing the fluorine-containing copolymer, an optical film having a layer formed of the composition, a hardcoat film, a polarizing plate, and a touch panel display, and a method for producing a fluorine-containing copolymer.

##STR00001##

R.sup.1, R.sup.10, and R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one carbon atom has a fluorine atom as a substituent, and L represents a divalent linking group constituted of at least one group selected from the group consisting of O, (CO)O, O(CO), divalent chain-like groups, and divalent aliphatic cyclic groups.

A fluorine-containing copolymer includes: a repeating unit represented by General Formula (I) and a repeating unit represented by General Formula (II), a composition containing the fluorine-containing copolymer, an optical film having a layer formed of the composition, a hardcoat film, a polarizing plate, and a touch panel display, and a method for producing a fluorine-containing copolymer.

##STR00001##

R.sup.1, R.sup.10, and R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least one carbon atom has a fluorine atom as a substituent, and L represents a divalent linking group constituted of at least one group selected from the group consisting of O, (CO)O, O(CO), divalent chain-like groups, and divalent aliphatic cyclic groups.

An aqueous copolymer dispersion is obtained by a multi-stage emulsion polymerization process comprising polymerizing in a reaction zone in a first polymerization stage a first monomer composition comprising at least 88 wt % of a viny I ester of a C.sub.1 to C.sub.18 carboxylic acid and up to 12 wt % ethylene to produce a first stage polymer having T.sub.g>20? C.; and polymerizing in the reaction zone, in a second polymerization stage and in the presence of the first stage polymer, a second monomer composition comprising a vinyl ester of a C.sub.1 to C.sub.18 carboxylic acid and a C.sub.2 to C.sub.8 alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid to produce a second stage polymer having T.sub.g?20? C. Each of the polymerization stages is conducted in the presence of a stabilizing system comprising at least 0.1 wt % of a protective colloid and at least 0.05 wt % of an ionic surfactant.