The invention provides a process for preparing
vinyl acetate-
ethylene copolymers by means of free-radically initiated
emulsion polymerization of
vinyl acetate and 18% to 34% by weight of
ethylene, based on the total weight of the
vinyl acetate and
ethylene monomers, and, optionally, further comonomers, characterized in that
polymerization takes place in the presence of at least one protective
colloid and of 0.5% to 4% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers, of at least one nonionic, ethoxylated emulsifier with a branched or linear
alkyl radical or in the form of
ethylene oxide-
propylene oxide copolymers, and in the absence of
chain transfer agent, and, before the
initiation of the
polymerization, 10% to 70% by weight of the vinyl acetate
monomer and 40% to 100% by weight of the ethylene
monomer are included in the initial charge, up to 100% by weight of the protective
colloid fraction is included in the initial charge, at least 25% by weight of the emulsifier fraction is included in the initial charge, and the remaining fractions of monomers, protective
colloid and emulsifier are metered in during the polymerization, the procedure being such that the criterion of process COP meets the condition2.5≦COP≦70, whereCOP=100×(ETM2.5×ETV1.25×EA2.5×EV1.5×VV−1), whereETM=MEt / MM, ETV=MEtV / MEt, EA=100 ME / MM, EV=MEV / ME and VV=MVacV / MVac, whereMEt=total
mass of ethylene in kg, MM=total
mass of
monomer in kg, MEtV=
mass of ethylene charge in kg, ME=total mass of emulsifier in kg, MEV=mass of emulsifier charge in kg; MVacV=mass of vinyl acetate charge in kg, and MVac=total mass of vinyl acetate in kg.