Water-based pressure sensitive adhesive compositions and methods of making same

Water-based pressure sensitive adhesive compositions are disclosed comprising an acrylic copolymer formed from a monomer mixture comprising, based on the total weight of monomers in the monomer mixture, (a) from 60 to 80 percent by weight 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, (b) from 10 to 30 percent by weight butyl acrylate, (c) from 3 to 7 percent by weight methyl methacrylate, (d) from 0.1 to 3 percent by weight styrene, (e) from 0.1 to 1 percent by weight (meth)acrylic acid, wherein the acrylic copolymer has an acid content of less than 1 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the monomers in the monomer mixture. Methods for preparing pressure sensitive adhesive compositions are also disclosed comprising preparing a monomer emulsion by dispersing a monomer mixture and a surfactant in an aqueous medium, and introducing an initiator to the monomer emulsion, thereby polymerizing the monomer mixture to form an acrylic copolymer suitable for use in a pressure sensitive adhesive composition.