Acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives with nanodiamonds and acid-base dependence of the pressure-sensitive adhesive properties

A high performance and functional properties in pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are attractive in fundamental and industrial fields. To control the performance of PSAs, nanofillers have been loaded into them. In this study, we focused on composites of acrylic PSAs and nanodiamonds (NDs). The loaded NDs reinforced the mechanical properties and increased the performance of the PSAs. NDs in a PSA formed a network structure. In this study, we revealed that the acidic-basic state was a key factor in the control of the dispersion of the NDs. When a PSA emulsions and ND aqueous dispersion was mixed under basic conditions, the composites demonstrated higher PSA properties (tack, holding, and peeling strength). We investigated the effect of the ND loading on the PSA properties from the viewpoints of the nanostructure and acid-base interactions. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46349.