Application of Green Commercial Surfactant in Preparing Purely Acrylic Latex via Semi-continuous Seeded Emulsion Polymerization

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) are widely used as surfactants for emulsion polymerization and for post adding stabilization for latex applications in formulations with high filler content. However, NPEOs are bioaccumulative and persistent in the environment while nonylphenol, the breakdown product of NPEs, is an endrocrine disruptor. Therefore, it has been recommended to ban technical processes using NPEOs as surfactants. The acrylic polymer latex was prepared via semi-continuous seeded emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate in water phase initiated with potassium persulfate when nonylphenol ethoxylates are replaced with alkyl polyglycoside (APG) surfactants. The structure of the resultant acrylic polymer latex is confirmed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum. Differential scanning calorimetry confirms that the resultant latex is a kind of random copolymer and the consistency among the chain segment is fairly good. Influences of amount of APG on the properties of the resultant latex and its film were investigated. Results show that the particle size of the latex is decreased with the increase of the amount of APG. And the ionic stability of latex is also improved with the increase of the amount of APG. However, the water-resistance of the film of the latex is decreased with the increase of the amount of APG.