Preparation And Characterization Of Waterborne Acrylate Resin Through The Phase-Inversion Method

In recent years, with the stricter requirements of environment protection and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), research and application of high performance waterborne resins become hotspot in coatings, adhesives and inks industry. CPP/polyacryaltes composite polymers by radical polymerization were prepared and waterborne hollow microspheres were obtained by phase-inversion method as well as waterborne acrylate resins for untreated polypropylene (PP) substrate. The forming mechanism of polymer hollow microspheres and the performance of waterborne resins were investigated. The adhesion strength of waterborne resin on PP was good enough to replace traditional solvent-based resins to protect the surface of plastics. The detailed content is listed as follows:(1) A novel and facile method to fabricate hollow polymer microspheres based on phase-inversion method was presented. In this approach, when hydrophobic chlorinated polypropylene was grafted by methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate and acrylic acid via free radical polymerization and then neutralized by triethylamine and gradually diluted by deionized water, phase-inversion happened, directly yielding hollow polymer microsphere dispersion. The results of the experiments showed that the phase inversion of CPP and polyacrylate which introducing internal hydrophilic microareas, and the dissolution of internal hydrophilic areas after phase inversion was the main reason that the hollow structures generated. The content of monomer AA was decisive to the incomplete and complete phase separation of the resins, therefore to the morphology of microspheres. When the amount of AA was low, a porous structure could be obtained; while the amount of AA was high, hollow microspheres could be obtained.(2) A way to develop waterborne CPP/polyacrylate resins was illustrated by polymerization of monomers in the presence of CPP as well as afterwards neutralization with amine and phase inversion. The copolymerization monomers were methyl methacrylate, n-butyl acrylate and acrylic acid. Optical microscope, SEM, XPS and contact angle measuring device was used to characterize the influence of CPP and cosolvent to the stability of the resins, and the surface energy and adhesion of coatings on PP substrate. The results showed that the unsuitable cosolvent would cause the separation out of CPP and reduce the adhesion. The composition of waterbome resins and cosolvent types had impact on the surface energy of coatings and adhesion. Coatings with low surface energy had better adhesion on PP substrate.