Films from styrene-butyl acrylate lattices using maleic or succinic surfactants, mechanical properties, water rebound and grafting of the surfactants

A series of anionic and zwitterionic maleic surfactants have been synthesized and engaged in styrene-butyl acrylate emulsion polymerization. Some non-reactive succinic analogs have been synthesized in order to perform their comparison with the maleic surfactants in polymerization experiments. Films from the obtained lattices were cast, and their mechanical properties and the water rebound were tested. The results of water rebound demonstrate significant difference between the films prepared with maleic or succinic surfactants. Water rebound of the films after 34 days in the case of succinic surfactants was found to be between 51 and 95%, while for maleic surfactants it is only 25-40% of the initial weight of samples, which is a significant improvement. Mechanical properties do not present essential difference, but a clear tendency has been observed in the three cases investigated-the films prepared using maleic surfactants are less resistant to the deformation and they are more extended at the rupture of the samples. Both series of results could be explained assuming heterogeneous inclusions of non-reactive surfactant (succinic derivatives) having an ionomer character. Both the results of water rebound and mechanical properties can be considered as an indirect proof of grafting of maleic surfactant on the polymer. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.