Synthesis of acrylate modified vinyl chloride and vinyl isobutyl ether copolymers and their properties

With acrylic acid, butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate as the monomers, acrylate modified vinyl chloride and vinyl isobutyl ether copolymers were prepared by solution polymerization. Firstly, vinyl chloride and vinyl isobutyl ether copolymers were grafted with acrylic monomers to obtain a product containing acrylate grafted vinyl chloride and vinyl isobutyl ether copolymers and polyacrylate, which was then neutralized by triethylamine and dispersed into water to get a self-emulsified emulsion. The acrylate modified vinyl chloride and vinyl isobutyl ether copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mean molecular weight of grafted polymer was determined by gel permeation chromatography, and the particle sizes and their distributions of the dispersions were measured by laser light scattering. The influences of initiator concentration, acrylate content, acrylic acid content and neutralization degree upon the properties of the modified copolymers were discussed. The results show that the emulsion will be with good storage stability, and the modified polymer will be with high water resistance, impact resistance and excellent adhesion when initiator concentration is 1.5%. acrylate content is 50%, acrylic acid content ranges from 9% to 11%, and neutralization degree is between 80% and 100%. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.