Studies on Synthesis and Characterization of Aqueous Hybrid Silicone-Acrylic and Acrylic-Silicone Dispersions and Coatings. Part I

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of the method of synthesis on properties of aqueous hybrid silicone-acrylic (SIL-ACR) and acrylic-silicone (ACR-SIL) dispersions. SIL-ACR dispersions were obtained by emulsion polymerization of mixtures of acrylic and styrene monomers (butyl acrylate, styrene, acrylic acid and methacrylamide) of two different compositions in aqueous dispersions of silicone resins synthesized from mixtures of silicone monomers (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, vinyltriethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane) of two different compositions. ACR-SIL dispersions were obtained by emulsion polymerization of mixtures of the same silicone monomers in aqueous dispersions of acrylic/styrene copolymers synthesized from the same mixtures of acrylic and styrene monomers, so the compositions of ACR and SIL parts in corresponding ACR-SIL and SIL-ACR hybrid dispersions were the same. Examination of the properties of hybrid dispersions (particle size, particle structure, minimum film forming temperature, T-g of dispersion solids) as well as of corresponding coatings (contact angle, water resistance, water vapour permeability, impact resistance, elasticity) and films (tensile strength, elongation at break, % swell in toluene), revealed that they depended on the method of dispersion synthesis that led to different dispersion particle structures and on composition of ACR and SIL part. Generally, coatings produced from hybrid dispersions showed much better properties than coatings made from starting acrylic /styrene copolymer dispersions.