Repulpable tape

Claim 1

In a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition for preparing repulpable pressure-sensitive tapes comprising (1) 49 to 89 parts by weight of the neutralized reaction product of a C 6 -C 18 alkyl phenol or C 6 -C 18 alkanol containing about 4 to 30 moles combined ethylene oxide with a copolymer obtained by the polymerization of a monomer composition comprising by weight: from about 35 to 85% of acrylate monomer of the formula CH 2 ═C(R)--COOR 1 wherein R is hydrogen or C 1 -C 4 alkyl, and R 1 is C 1 -C 14 alkyl; with the proviso that at least 60% is C 4 substituted (i.e. for R 1 ) acrylates; from about 8 to 30% of an alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated di-carboxylic acid anhydride and from about 8 to 30% of monomer selected from vinyl esters, vinyl ethers, vinyl halides, styrene, C 1 -C 4 alkyl styrenes, lower (C 1 to C 6 ) alkyl methacrylates and alpha-olefins, the weight ratio of acrylate to anhydride being from about 1.5:1 to 8:1, the amount of said alkyl phenol or alkanol being sufficient to provide an alkyl phenol or alkanol:anhydride mole ratio of about 0.3 to 1.0 and at least about 0.7 when said acrylate:anhydride weight ratio is below about 4; the improvement wherein said composition further includes (2) from about 10 to about 50 parts by weight of a partially to fully hydrogenated rosin; and (3) at least 1 part by weight of polyethylene glycol; said composition being characterized by retaining its adhesion properties over a wide range of humidity and temperature.