Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.59, No.2, 209-213, 1996
Latex Interpenetrating Polymer Networks Based on Polyacrylates and Network-II Comprised of Poly(Styrene-Co-Methyl Methacrylate)
Latex interpenetrating polymer networks (LIPNs) were prepared using the polyacrylate seed, comprising of n-butyl acrylate, methyl methacrlate, tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the ratio of 55 : 45 : 0.7 by weight (wt), and with different amounts of methacrylic acid (MAA) ranging from 0 to 6% on monomer wt. basis and the copolymer of styrene and methyl methacrylate (53 : 47 by wt) as the second network, to study the effect of the increase in the hydrophilicity of the seed on the final latex properties. The swelling and polymerization of mixture of the monomers II and the crosslinker II were done at two different pHs (viz. 3.3 and 8.5). All the latexes yielded continuous films upon drying at ambient temperature. All the LIPNs possess multiphase morphology. Tensile strength and shore-D hardness have been found to increase with an increase in MAA concentration in the seed. Different properties like film formation, glass transition temperature, and tensile strength of the LIPNs thus prepared have been compared with the set of LIPNs produced using the same seed, but with polymer II comprising of the either polystyrene (PS) or poly-MMA (PMMA) homopolymer. The LIPNs having the copolymeric combination showed the combined effect of both the constituents.