Latex for coatings having improved flexibility

This invention relates to the synthesis of a latex which can be formulated into coatings having improved flexibility and good water resistance. Coatings of this type are particularly useful in roof coating applications because they offer excellent flexibility, excellent ultra-violet light resistance, and good water resistance. The subject invention more specifically discloses a process for producing a neutralized latex that is useful in the manufacture of water reducible coatings which comprises: (1) free radical aqueous emulsion polymerizing, at a pH of less than about 3.5, a monomer mixture which comprises, based on 100 weight percent monomers: (a) from about 30 to about 70 weight percent vinyl aromatic monomers, (b) from about 25 to about 65 weight percent of at least one alkyl acrylate monomer, (c) from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of acrylic acid, and (d) about 0.4 to about 3 weight percent methacrylic acid; in the presence of about 0.2 to 0.4 phm at least one sulfonate surfactant and in the presence of about 4 to 8 phm of at least one nonionic surface active agent having a hydrophile-lipophile balance number which is within the range of about 12 to about 20 to produce a latex; and (2) neutralizing the latex with ammonia to a pH which is within the range of about 7 to about 10.5 to produce the neutralized latex. l