Distribution of water-soluble and surface-active low-molecular-weight species in acrylic latex films

Dynamic surfaces of latex films and their antifouling applications

Latex polymer particles have been widely used in industry and everyday life. For decades the fabrication of "smart" latex film from latex particles has been a great challenge due to the difficulty in the synthesis of the functional latex particles by traditional emulsion polymerization using small molecular surfactants. In this manuscript, a simple and environmentally-friendly approach to the fabrication of "smart" latex films with dynamic surfaces is reported. Latex particles with poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA) in the cores and zwitterionic poly-3-[dimethyl-[2-(2-methylprop-2-enoyloxy) ethyl]azaniumyl]propane-1-sulfonate (PDMAPS) in the shells are synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) mediated surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. The kinetics for the emulsion polymerization is studied, and the latex particles are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Latex films are prepared by casting aqueous solutions of the latex particles at temperatures above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PnBMA. On the dried latex film, the hydrophobic PnBMA blocks occupy the top surface; after water treatment, the hydrophilic PDMAPS blocks migrate to the surface. A change in the surface hydrophilicity results in a change in the water contact angle of the latex film. A mechanism for the formation of the dynamic surface structure is proposed in this research. Antifouling applications of the latex films are investigated. Experimental results indicate that the water-treated latex film is able to efficiently inhibit protein adsorption and resist bacterial adhesion.

How Particle Deformability Influences the Surfactant Distribution in Colloidal Polymer Films

The distribution of surfactants in waterborne colloidal polymer films is of significant interest for scientific understanding and defining surface properties in applications including pressure-sensitive adhesives and coatings. Because of negative effects on appearance, wetting, and adhesion, it is desirable to prevent surfactant accumulation at film surfaces. The effect of particle deformation on surfactant migration during film formation was previously investigated by Gromer et al. through simulations, but experimental investigations are lacking. Here, we study deuterium-labeled sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant in a poly(butyl acrylate) latex model system. The particle deformability was varied via cross-linking of the intraparticle polymer chains by differing extents. The cross-linker concentration varied from 0 to 35 mol % in the copolymer, leading to a transition from viscoelastic to elastic. Ion beam analysis was used to probe the dry films and provide information on the near-surface depth distribution of surfactant. Films of nondeformable particles, containing the highest concentration of cross-linker, show no surfactant accumulation at the top surface. Films from particles partially deformed by capillary action show a distinct surfactant surface layer (ca. 150 nm thick). Films of coalesced particles, containing little or no cross-linker, show a very small amount of surfactant on the surface (ca. 20 nm thick). The observed results are explained by considering the effect of cross-linking on rubber elasticity and applying the viscous particle deformation model by Gromer et al. to elastically deformed particles. We find that partially deformed particles allow surfactant transport to the surface during film formation, whereas there is far less transport when skin formation acts as a barrier. With elastic particles, the surfactant is carried in the water phase as it falls beneath the surface of packed particles. The ability to exert control over surfactant distribution in waterborne colloidal films will aid in the design of new high-performance adhesives and coatings.

In Situ Monitoring of Latex Film Formation by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering: Evolving Distributions of Hydrophilic Stabilizers in Drying Colloidal Films

The distribution of hydrophilic species, such as surfactants, in latex films is of critical importance for the performance of adhesives, coatings, and inks, among others. However, the evolution of this distribution during the film formation process and in the resulting dried films remains insufficiently elucidated. Here, we present in situ (wet) and ex situ (dry) small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments that follow the film formation of two types of latex particles, which differ in their stabilizer: either a covalently bonded poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) segment or a physically adsorbed surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS). By fitting the experimental SANS data and combining with gravimetry experiments, we have ascertained the hydrophilic species distribution within the drying film and followed its evolution by correlating the size and shape of stabilizer clusters with the drying time. The evolution of the SDS distribution over drying time is being driven by a reduction in the interfacial free energy. However, the PMAA-based stabilizer macromolecules are restricted by their covalent bonding to core polymer chains and hence form high-surface area disclike phases at the common boundary between particles and PMAA micelles. Contrary to an idealized view of film formation, PMAA does not remain in the walls of a continuous honeycomb structure. The results presented here shed new light on the nanoscale distribution of hydrophilic species in drying and ageing latex films. We provide valuable insights into the influence of the stabilizer mobility on the final structure of latex films.

Simulation of Vertical Surfactant Distributions in Drying Latex Films

Following our previous contribution ( Gromer, A. et al. Langmuir 2015 , 31 , 10983 - 10994 ) presenting a new simulation tool devoted to particle distributions in drying latex films, this Article describes the prediction of surfactant concentration profiles in the vertical direction during the complete film formation process. The simulation is inspired by cellular automata and equations by Routh and co-workers. It includes effects that were not considered before: surfactant convection by water and surfactant desorption upon particle deformation. It is based on five parameters describing the nature of the polymer/surfactant system and on film formation conditions. In particular, the viscoelastic properties of the polymer were taken into account through the λ̅ parameter introduced by Routh and Russel. Results show the importance of convection by water and the influence of the particular deformation mechanism on the final surfactant distribution. Excesses or depletions can be predicted either on the surface or on the substrate sides, in qualitative agreement with the numerous existing experimental studies. The complex interplay between parameters governing surfactant distributions makes the results unpredictable without the help of such a simulation tool. Therefore, it should be of interest to both industrial and academic scientists.

Drying Mechanisms in Plasticized Latex Films: Role of Horizontal Drying Fronts

This article presents studies on the drying kinetics of latexes with particles made progressively softer by adding increasing amounts of a plasticizer, in relation to speeds of horizontal drying fronts and particle deformation mechanisms. Global drying rates were measured by gravimetry, and speeds of the horizontal fronts were recorded using a video camera and image processing. Particle deformation mechanisms were inferred using the deformation map established by Routh and Russel (RR). This required precise measurements of the rheological properties of the polymers using a piezorheometer. The results show that latexes with softer particles dry slowly, but in our systems, this is not due to skin formation. A correlation between global drying rates and speeds of horizontal fronts could be established and interpreted in terms of the evolution of mass transfer coefficients of water in different areas of the drying system. The speeds of the horizontal drying fronts were compared with the RR model. A remarkable qualitative agreement of the curve shapes was observed; however, the fit could not be considered good. These results call for further research efforts in modeling and simulation.

Comparison of Surfactant Distributions in Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Films Dried from Dispersion under Lab-Scale and Industrial Drying Conditions

Film-forming latex dispersions are an important class of material systems for a variety of applications, for example, pressure-sensitive adhesives, which are used for the manufacturing of adhesive tapes and labels. The mechanisms occurring during drying have been under intense investigations in a number of literature works. Of special interest is the distribution of surfactants during the film formation. However, most of the studies are performed at experimental conditions very different from those usually encountered in industrial processes. This leaves the impact of the drying conditions and the resulting influence on the film properties unclear. In this work, two different 2-ethylhexyl-acrylate (EHA)-based adhesives with varying characteristics regarding glass transition temperature, surfactants, and particle size distribution were investigated on two different substrates. The drying conditions, defined by film temperature and mass transfer in the gas phase, were varied to emulate typical conditions encountered in the laboratory and industrial processes. Extreme conditions equivalent to air temperatures up to 250 °C in a belt dryer and drying rates of 12 g/(m(2)·s) were realized. The surfactant distributions were measured by means of 3D confocal Raman spectroscopy in the dry film. The surfactant distributions were found to differ significantly with drying conditions at moderate film temperatures. At elevated film temperatures the surfactant distributions are independent of the investigated gas side transport coefficients: the heat and mass transfer coefficient. Coating on substrates with significantly different surface energies has a large impact on surfactant concentration gradients, as the equilibrium between surface and bulk concentration changes. Dispersions with higher colloidal stability showed more homogeneous lateral surfactant distributions. These results indicate that the choice of the drying conditions, colloidal stability, and substrates is crucial to control the surfactant distribution. Results obtained under lab-scale drying conditions cannot be transferred directly to the industrial application. The results were similar for both tested adhesive material systems, despite their different properties. This indicates that other properties, such as the particle size distribution and glass transition temperature, have surprisingly little effect on the development of the surfactant distribution.

Characterizing the distribution of sodium alkyl sulfate surfactant homologues in water-based, acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive films

The distributions of three sodium alkyl sulfate surfactants in dry adhesive films cast from water-based latexes were characterized using confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and contact angle (CA) and tack measurements. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS), and sodium octadecyl sulfate (SODS) were added to dialyzed commercial adhesive latex at various concentrations. Uneven distributions were found for all three surfactants along with a tendency to enrich film-air interfaces and, to a much lesser extent, film-glass interfaces. SDS demonstrated the greatest tendency to concentrate near film surfaces followed by STS and SODS. For all three surfactants, water CA values for dried films decreased sharply with increasing concentrations in the latex, but significant differences were observed, with SDS again having the greatest impact followed by STS and SODS. Tack of dried polymer films was also found to decrease with increasing latex surfactant levels, with SDS producing the sharpest drop as well as the lowest plateau values. Results indicate that interfacial enrichment by surfactants is detectable via both CRM and CA measurements, and this enrichment can significantly affect the performance of films. Finally, surface enrichment levels are qualitatively related to measures of the surfactants' affinity for aqueous solutions, as characterized by the logarithm of their 1-octanol-water distribution coefficients (K(ow)).

Modifications of surfactant distributions and surface morphologies in latex films due to moisture exposure

Migration of surfactants in water-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) films exposed to static and cyclic relative humidity conditions was investigated using confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Studied PSA films contain monomers n-butyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, and methacrylic acid and an equal mass mixture of anionic and nonionic nonylphenol ethoxylate emulsifiers. A leveling of surfactant concentration distributions is observed via CRM after films stored at 50% relative humidity (RH) are exposed to a 100% RH for an extended time period, while relatively small increases in surface enrichment occur when films are stored at 0% RH. Use of CRM for binary mixtures containing anionic or nonionic surfactant and latex that has undergone dialysis to remove nonpolymeric components indicates that surfactant-polymer compatibility governs to a great extent surface enrichment, but not changes observed with humidity variations. AFM images show that upon drying latex coatings, surfactant and other additives collect in large aggregation regions, which protrude from film surfaces. These structures are absent at high humidity, which appears to result from lateral spreading across the polymer surface. When humidity is reduced, aggregation regions reform but appear to be smaller and more evenly dispersed, and by cycling humidity between 0 and 100% RH, interfacial enrichment can be seen to diminish. Presented results provide greater insights into the distribution behavior of surfactants in latex films and potential mechanisms for observed issues arising for these systems.

Characterizing the distribution of nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants in water-based pressure-sensitive adhesive films using atomic-force and confocal Raman microscopy

Surfactant distributions in model pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) films were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal Raman microscopy (CRM). The PSAs are water-based acrylics synthesized with n-butyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, and methacrylic acid and two commercially available surfactants, disodium (nonylphenoxypolyethoxy)ethyl sulfosuccinate (anionic) and nonylphenoxypoly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol (nonionic). The ratio of these surfactants was varied, while the total surfactant content was held constant. AFM images demonstrate the tendency of anionic surfactant to accumulate at the film surfaces and retard latex particle coalescence. CRM, which was introduced here as a means of providing quantitative depth profiling of surfactant concentration in latex adhesive films, confirms that the anionic surfactant tends to migrate to the film interfaces. This is consistent with its greater water solubility, which causes it to be transported by convective flow during the film coalescence process. The behavior of the nonionic surfactant is consistent with its greater compatibility with the polymer, showing little enrichment at film interfaces and little lateral variability in concentration measurements made via CRM. Surfactant distributions near film interfaces determined via CRM are well fit by an exponential decay model, in which concentrations drop from their highs at interfaces to plateau values in the film bulk. It was observed that decay constants are larger at the film-air interface compared with those obtained at the film-substrate side indicating differences in the mechanism involved. In general, it is shown here that CRM acts as a powerful compliment to AFM in characterizing the distribution of surfactant species in PSA film formation.

Thinning of drying latex films due to surfactant

Lateral non-uniformities in surfactant distribution in drying latex films induce surface tension gradients at the film surface and lead to film thinning through surfactant spreading. Here we investigate the influence of the surfactant driven to the air-water interface, during the early stages of latex film drying, on the film thinning process which could possibly lead to film rupture. A film height evolution equation is coupled with conservation equations for particles and surfactant, within the lubrication approximation, and solved numerically, to obtain the film height, particle volume fraction, and surfactant concentration profiles. Parametric analysis identifies the effect of drying rate, dispersion viscosity and initial particle volume fraction on film thinning and reveals the conditions under which films could rupture. The results from surface profilometry conform qualitatively to the model predictions.

Differences in binding of a cationic surfactant to cross-linked sodium poly(acrylate) and sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) studied by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the structure of gel-surfactant complexes. Cross-linked sodium poly(acrylate) and sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) were immersed in solutions of the cationic surfactant dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide. During the deswelling process, two distinct regions could be observed for both types of gels. Looking at the Raman spectra, however, for the poly(styrene sulfonate), the surfactant could be found throughout the gel particle, whereas for poly(acrylate), essentially all the surfactant was bound in a surface layer.

Heterogeneity in styrene-butadiene latex films

Low-Tg styrene-butadiene (SB) latex films were investigated by noncontact atomic force microscopy and scanning electric potential microscopy, revealing a number of different morphologies and electric potential patterns across films cast from the same SB latex dispersions under the same conditions. Surface leveling and charge dispersion throughout the films are, thus, restrained even at temperatures above Tg and the minimum film-formation temperature. An unprecedented electric pattern is observed, in which the particle cores are more positive than the contacting particle outer layers. Different packing patterns, including cubic and hexagonal arrays, coexist in neighboring areas. Zonal centrifugation of the SB latex in sucrose density gradient shows that particles cover a broad range of densities. Thus, film surface heterogeneity is at least partly due to particle heterogeneity. Fractal dimensions of topographic profiles are lower than those of the electric potential profiles, showing that charge mobility is much more restrained than polymer chain motion at the film surface and that it imposes a limit to the charged chain-ends motion.

A model for surfactant distribution in latex coatings

The presence of surfactants in dried latex films can adversely affect the adhesive, water-resistant, and gloss properties, so investigating the surfactant distribution in latex coatings is of prime industrial relevance. Here we present a model that predicts the distribution of surfactant in a latex coating during the solvent evaporation stage. The conservation equation for surfactant during solvent evaporation is solved in the limit of infinite particle Peclet numbers, a dimensionless quantity giving the measure of relative magnitudes of evaporative to diffusive fluxes. A parametric analysis using the model reveals that the surfactant adsorption isotherm is the determining physical parameter. The model always predicts surfactant excesses at the top surface and either excess or depletion at the bottom surface depending on the isotherm. Uniform distributions are predicted for low surfactant Peclet numbers. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic probes on film surfaces conform to the behavior predicted by the model.