Optimization of poly(acrylate) properties with fatty acid-based methacrylate monomers and alkyd resin mixtures
Researchers have found that the length of the fatty acid chain is decisive for the macromolecular properties of poly(acrylates), while fatty acid-based methacrylate monomers in high-temperature solution polymerization lead to various poly(acrylates) whose properties can be optimized by mixing with medium-oil alkyd resins.
Fatty acids-based methacrylate monomers have been studied as alternative renewable raw materials for the synthesis of poly(acrylate)s. In this research work, several poly(acrylate)s based on lauric, oleic, linoleic and tall oil fatty acids were obtained by high temperature solution polymerization since it is a process extensively used at industrial scale. The effect of the presence and increase of the aforementioned fatty acids-based methacrylate monomers on the conversion as a function of polymerization since it is a process extensively used at industrial scale.
The effect of the presence and increase of the aforementioned fatty acids-based methacrylate monomers on the conversion as a function of polymerization time and actual monomer composition in the copolymer were studied, thus inferring that the fatty acid chain length is of paramount importance for the final macromolecular features. The resulting poly(acrylate)s were evaluated as individual and blended with a medium-oil alkyd resin with the aim of balancing the advantages of both, such as low drying, mechanical performance, and chemical resistance, in order to indirectly produce economically viable resins for the industrial coating market.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 186, January 2024.
