Emulsion polymerization of an epoxy-acrylate emulsion stabilized with polyacrylate. i. influence of salt, initiator, neutralizing amine, and stirring speed

The past decade has seen the development of high-performance epoxy-acrylate coatings. Some of these coatings are used exclusively as can coatings. To improve chemical resistance, emulsion polymerization in the presence of the dispersed epoxy resin can be conducted. Replicated factorial designs were designed to investigate some of the factors that contribute to the performance and stability of the epoxy-acrylate coating. The factors investigated in this study were: the type and amount of neutralizing amine, the type of initiator, the presence or absence of salt, and the stirring speed of the impeller. The measured responses for the experimental design were particle size, particle size distribution, and conversion. It has been shown in this study that the type of amine used to neutralize the polyacrylic stabilizer significantly influenced the observed responses probably by acting as chain transfer agent during polymerization. The addition of salt significantly affected the observed responses by shielding the surface charges on the particle surface that impart stability to the latex through electrostatic repulsion. Stirring speed of the impeller and the type of initiator as factors in the range investigated do not influence the kinetics or the particle size and polydispersity to any great extent either on their own or in combination with other factors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 1347–1360, 1999