Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.70, No.2, 367-372, 1998
Synthesis of methyl methacrylate-n-butylacrylate copolymers : Study of the paint properties
A series of acrylic copolymer solutions were prepared by copolymerizing methyl methacrylate (MMA) with n-butylacrylate monomers in toluene to high conversion using dibenzoyl peroxide (0.5 wt %) as initiator. The various reaction parameters, such as MMA concentration and mode of addition of reactants to the reaction vessel, were changed to obtain an acceptable quality of the resins for the paint. The properties of the resins and the effect of MMA concentration on these properties (such as viscosity, drying time, hardness, and adhesion) were measured according to ASTM standard tests. A linear relation between final percentages of conversion and MMA concentration was observed. Drying time, hardness, and glass transition temperature of the samples were increased with MMA concentration : adhesion of the samples remained constant up to 50 wt % of MMA and then decreased significantly with a further increase in MMA concentration. These results led to the selection of resins with the properties that fulfill the requirement of a good quality traffic paint.
Keywords:BUTYL ACRYLATE