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Silanes and fluor monomers improve the performance of bio-based hybrid latices
A recent study examined how monomers containing fluorine and silane affect the properties of water-based hybrid dispersions made from alkyd and styrene acrylate. The focus was on hydrophobic, sustainable formulations based on hemp oil and tall oil.
In order to meet the increasing demands for sustainable coating systems, a Turkish research team has developed hybrid dispersions based on alkyd/styrene acrylate – using renewable raw materials such as hemp oil (HSO) and tall oil fatty acids (TOFA). The aim of the study was to produce water-based polymer emulsions with hydrophobic properties by incorporating fluorinated and silane-containing monomers into the mini-emulsion polymerisation.
To do this, a total of twelve different latexes were synthesised, consisting of pure polymers (without alkyd) and dispersions with 10% HSO- or TOFA-based alkyd. All three variants were modified with 3% or 6% triethoxyvinylsilane (VTES) and 2% 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA). The investigation included structural and property analysis methods such as FTIR, ¹H-NMR, particle size analysis, AFM, STEM and zeta potential.
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Significantly improved hydrophobicity and thermal stability
The results show that the targeted modification with TFEMA and VTES significantly improves the hydrophobic properties, thermal stability and mechanical characteristics of the hybrid latexes. TFEMA in particular increased the water repellency, as measured by the contact angle, while VTES promoted a stronger cross-linking of the polymer matrix.
The use of sustainable raw materials in combination with functional monomers thus offers great potential for future water-based coating systems with targeted performance properties – particularly with regard to environmental friendliness and functionality.
Source: Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, Volume 21, Pages 1067–1084, (2024)
