Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing an aqueous dispersion of water insoluble heteropolymeric particles comprising polymerising in an aqueous reaction medium ethylenically unsaturated monomers, said ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomers and non-ionisable hydrophilic ethylenically unsaturated monomers, to form said heteropolymeric particles dispersed in said aqueous reaction medium, wherein the monomers in said reaction medium at any point in time comprise less than 5 weight % of ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer, wherein for at least a part of the polymerisation the monomers in said reaction medium have a composition which is maintained with an ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer content of from 0.

Abstract: A soil resistant aqueous coating composition in which the binder consists of a blend of a low Tg polymeric dispersion and a high Tg polymeric dispersion. The PVC of the composition is less than the critical PVC and the Tg of the low Tg polymer dispersion is less than 0.degree. C. and the Tg of the high Tg polymer dispersion is a least 35.degree. C. and the volume ratio of low Tg polymer dispersion to high Tg polymer dispersion is from 0.4:1 to 1.4:1.