AUTO-OXIDATION STUDY OF MODEL FATTY ACID-FUNCTIONALIZED (METH)ACRYLIC COPOLYMERS

摘要

Vegetable oil macromonomers (VOMMs) are typically employed as comonomers in emulsion polymerizations where they function as plasticizers and facilitate film formation in the absence of coalescing aids. The fatty acid unsaturation offers potential for network formation via auto-oxidation and augments film performance properties. However, chain transfer to VOMMs during copolymerization decreases polymerization rate, the polymer molecular weight, and the number of allylic hydrogens and/or unsaturation available for post-application auto-oxidation. In this study, vegetable oil fatty acids were incorporated via dicyclohexylcarbodiimide coupling into (meth)acrylic copolymers after polymerization, providing a model fatty acid-acrylate system void of chain transfer to VOMMs. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gel content measurements established a baseline of auto-oxidation and physical characteristics for VOMM-based acrylic polymers.