Advanced analytical methods for the structure elucidation of polystyrene-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate) block copolymers prepared by reverse iodine transfer polymerisation

Gamma radiation-induced grafting of poly(butyl acrylate) onto ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer for improved crude oil flowability

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers are widely employed as pour point depressants to enhance the flow properties of crude oil. However, EVA copolymers have limitations that necessitate their development. This work investigated the modification of EVA via gamma radiation-induced grafting of butyl acrylate (BuA) monomers and the evaluation of grafted EVA as a pour point depressant for crude oil. The successful grafting of poly(butyl acrylate) p(BuA) onto EVA was verified through grafting parameters, FTIR spectroscopy, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Treating crude oil with 3000 ppm of (EVA)0kGy, (EVA)50kGy, and (1EVA:3BuA)50kGy yielded substantial reductions in pour point of 24, 21, and 21 °C, respectively. Also, rheological characterization demonstrated improving evidenced by a viscosity reduction of 76.20%, 67.70%, and 71.94% at 25 °C, and 83.16%, 74.98%, and 81.53% at 12 °C. At low dosages of 1000 ppm, the EVA-g-p(BuA) exhibited superior pour point reductions compared to unmodified EVA, highlighting the benefit of incorporating p(BuA) side chains. The grafted EVA copolymers with p(BuA) side chains showed excellent potential as crude oil flow improvers by promoting more effective adsorption and co-crystallization with paraffin wax molecules.

Synthesis of Waterborne Polyurethane by the Telechelic α,ω-Di(hydroxy)poly(n-butyl acrylate)

A key for the preparation of polyacrylate-based polyurethane is the synthesis of hydroxyl-terminated polyacrylate. To our knowledge, exactly one hydroxyl group of every polyacrylate chain has not been reported. The hydroxyl-terminated poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) has been successfully synthesized by degenerative iodine transfer polymerization (DITP) of the n-butyl acrylate (n-BA) using 4,4′-azobis(4-cyano-1-pentanol) (ACPO) and diiodoxylene (DIX) as initiator and chain transfer agent, respectively, and subsequently substituted reaction of the iodine-terminated PBA with β-mercaptoethanol in alkaline condition. The latter reaction was highly efficient, and the terminal iodine at the end of polymer chains were almost quantitatively transformed to a hydroxyl group. 2,2′-Azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) and ACPO were used as initiators in the DITPs of n-BA. The results demonstrated that they had a significant influence on the terminal groups of the formed polymer chains. The structure, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution of the hydroxyl-terminated PBA have been studied by ¹H, ¹³C NMR, and GPC results. The components of hydroxyl-terminated PBA were determined by MALDI-TOF MS spectra, and their formation is discussed. The broad molecular weight distribution of the PBA and the difference in the polymerization behaviors from typical living radical polymerization are explained based on the results of ¹H NMR and MALDI-TOF MS spectra. The hydroxyl-terminated PBA has been successfully used in the preparation of PBA-based polyurethane dispersions (PUDs). The aqueous PUDs were stable, and based on the DSC results it can be said that the miscibility of hard segments with PBA chains was improved.