International. To investigate the potential as a binder for adhesive and coating applications, researchers have characterized acrylic copolymers from methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate with hyper-ramified architecture.
The copolymers were synthesized using a free radical polymerization (stratification method) in emulsion technique. Divinylbenzene was used as a brancher acting as a comonomer and 1-dodecanotiol was used as a chain termination agent. A linear copolymer was also synthesized from methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate for comparison.
The hyperramified architecture was established from spectroscopic and rheological measurements. Gel permeation chromatography showed that all hyperbranched copolymers were of low molecular weight with a lower polydispersity index (PDI) compared to linear grade.
They were more spherical and achieved lower viscosity (but higher solubility,> 90%) than the linear grade (<50%), which was mostly open. A lower viscosity with an equivalent solids content made hyperbranched polymers a potential binder for adhesive and coating applications.
Source: Wiley Online Library.
