Void closure and interdiffusion in latex film formation by photon transmission and fluorescence methods

NMR Profiling of Reaction and Transport in Thin Layers: A Review

Reaction and transport processes in thin layers of between 10 and 1000 µm are important factors in determining their performance, stability and degradation. In this review, we discuss the potential of high-gradient Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) as a tool to study both reactions and transport in these layers spatially and temporally resolved. As the NMR resolution depends on gradient strength, the high spatial resolution required in submillimeter layers can only be achieved with specially designed high-gradient setups. Three different high-gradient setups exist: STRAFI (STRay FIeld), GARField (Gradient-At-Right-angles-to-Field) and MOUSE (MObile Universal Surface Explorer). The aim of this review is to provide a detailed overview of the three techniques and their ability to visualize reactions and transport processes using physical observable properties such as hydrogen density, diffusion, T1- and T2-relaxation. Finally, different examples from literature will be presented to illustrate the wide variety of applications that can be studied and the corresponding value of the techniques.

Correlating particle deformation with water concentration profiles during latex film formation: reasons that softer latex films take longer to dry

During the past two decades, an improved understanding of the operative particle deformation mechanisms during latex film formation has been gained. For a particular colloidal dispersion, the Routh-Russel deformation maps predict the dominant mechanism for particle deformation under a particular set of conditions (evaporation rate, temperature, and initial film thickness). Although qualitative tests of the Routh-Russel model have been reported previously, a systematic study of the relationship between the film-formation conditions and the resulting water concentration profiles is lacking. Here, the water distributions during the film formation of a series of acrylic copolymer latexes with varying glass-transition temperatures, Tg (values of -22, -11, 4, and 19 °C), have been obtained using GARField nuclear magnetic resonance profiling. A significant reduction in the rate of water loss from the latex copolymer with the lowest Tg was found, which is explained by its relatively low polymer viscosity enabling the growth of a coalesced skin layer. The set of processing parameters where the drying first becomes impeded occurs at the boundary between the capillary deformation and the wet sintering regimes of the Routh-Russel model, which provides strong confirmation of the model's validity. An inverse correlation between the model's dimensionless control parameter and the dimensionless drying time is discovered, which is useful for the design of fast-drying waterborne films.

Ceramic encapsulated latex composites

This work reports the encapsulation of latex particles in Al2O3-polystyrene (PS) composite films. These films were prepared from PS particles in Al2O3 dispersion at room temperature in various latex contents. Composite films were annealed at elevated temperatures in 10 min time interval above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polystyrene. Transmitted photon intensities, I(tr) were monitored after each annealing step. AFM micrographs were also used to observe the physical changes of the composite films during annealing. It was observed that latex particles are encapsulated above a critical Al2O3 content of 33 wt% which corresponds to the critical occupation probability of p(c) = 0.33 at which the film obey the site-percolation model with a critical exponent of 0.45. Below p(c), it was seen that complete latex film formation process took place, where transparency of the film was increased by annealing.

Film formation from pure and mixed latices; transient fluorescence study

A fast transient fluorescence technique was used to study latex film formation induced by organic solvent vapor. Mixtures of pyrene (P)- and naphthalene (N)-labeled and/or pure naphthalene-labeled latex films were prepared separately from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles. Then these pure and mixed latex films were exposed to vapor of various chloroform-heptane mixtures in seven different experiments. In both films, fluorescence lifetimes from N were monitored during vapor-induced film formation. It was observed that N lifetimes decreased as the vapor exposure time is increased. A Stern-Volmer kinetic analysis was used for low quenching efficiencies to interpret the decrease in N lifetimes. A Prager-Tirrell model was employed to obtain back-and-forth frequencies, nu, of reptating PMMA chains during latex film formation induced by solvent vapor. In both pure and mixed latex films, nu values were found to be correlated with the chloroform content in the vapor mixture. It was observed that polymer interdiffusion obeyed a t1/2 law during film formation.

Swelling of Interpenetrating Networklike Particles in a Soft Polymer Matrix

Fast transient fluorescence technique was used to monitor swelling of hard latex particles in a soft polymer matrix. Various film samples were prepared from pyrene (P) and/or naphthalene (N)-labeled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles in a low-molecular-weight poly(isobutylene) (PIB) matrix. These PMMA particles contain interpenetrating PIB channels. Film samples were annealed at elevated temperatures to promote particle swelling. Fluorescence lifetimes, tau, were measured for each film sample. It was observed that tau values decrease as the PIB content in the matrix is increased. The decrease in tau was explained by the increase in quenching of excited P and N molecules by low-molecular-weight PIB penetrating into the PIB channels in the PMMA particles. A drastic decrease in tau above a certain temperature was attributed to the effect of particle size on the swelling of the latex particles in the PIB matrix. It was observed that small particles (P-labeled) swell at much lower annealing temperatures than large (N-labeled) particles.

Site Percolation Model for Latex Film Formation in Soft Polymer Matrix

The UV-visible (UVV) technique was used to monitor latex film formation in a soft polymer matrix. Various film samples were prepared by increasing the amount of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles in a poly(isobutylene) (PIB) matrix. These samples were then annealed above the glass transition temperature to promote latex film formation. Transmitted photon intensities, Itr, were measured for each film. It is observed that Itr decrease as the latex content is increased, which was explained by the increase in scattered light intensity, Isc. The drastic increase in Isc above a certain latex content is attributed to the site percolation of latex particles in the PIB matrix. The percolation threshold and the critical exponent were measured and found to be 0.3 and 0.4, respectively. The increase in Itr by annealing of film samples above Tg was explained with the void closure process below 0.8 occupation probability. When the film is occupied completely with the latex particles, interdiffusion of polymer chains was observed. Viscous flow and chain diffusion activation energies were determined and found to be 8 and 51 kcal/mol, respectively.

Fast transient fluorescence technique (FTRF) for studying vapor-induced latex film formation

A fast transient fluorescence (FTRF) technique was used to study latex film formation induced by organic solvent vapor. Seven different films with the same latex content were prepared separately from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles and exposed to vapor of various chloroform-heptane mixtures in seven different experiments. Latex films were prepared from pyrene (Py)-labeled latex particles and fluorescence lifetimes of Py were monitored during vapor-induced film formation. It was observed that pyrene lifetimes decreased as vapor exposure time increased. A Stern-Volmer kinetic analysis was used for low quenching efficiencies to interpret the decrease in pyrene lifetimes. A Prager-Tirrel model was employed to obtain back-and-forth frequencies, nu, of the reptating PMMA chains during latex film formation induced by solvent vapor. nu values were found to be correlated with chloroform content in vapor mixture. It was observed that polymer interdiffusion obeyed a t(1/2) law during film formation. The results of optical transmission experiments were found to support these findings.

Molecular weight effect on latex film formation induced by solvent vapor: an optical transmission study

Two different sets of powder latex film were prepared from high- and low-molecular-weight (HM and LM) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The optical transmission method was used to the study film formation induced by organic vapor. Various HM and LM films with the same latex content were prepared separately from the PMMA particles and exposed to vapor of a chloroform-heptane mixture in various volume percents of chloroform. Transmitted light intensities, I(tr), from these films increased in time under vapor exposure, which was attributed to the increase in "crossing density" at the junction surface. The Prager-Tirrell model was employed to obtain the back-and-forth frequency, nu, of the reptating polymer chain during film formation induced by solvent vapor. nu values were obtained and found to be strongly correlated with the percent of chloroform in the solvent mixture and the molecular weight of the polymer chain. It is observed that high-molecular-weight chains reptate much more slowerly than low-molecular-weight chains.

Film Formation from Nanosized Copolymeric Latex Particles: A Photon Transmission Study

The photon transmission technique was used to monitor the evolution of transparency during film formation from nanosized copolymeric latex particles. The latex films were prepared from poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl methacrylate) (P(MMA-co-BMA)) particles which were produced by microemulsion polymerization. These films were annealed at elevated temperatures in various time intervals above the glass transition temperature (T(g)) of P(MMA-co-BMA). It is observed that the transmitted photon intensity (I(tr)) from these films increased as the annealing temperature increased. There are three different film formation stages. These stages are explained by the void closure, healing, and interdiffusion processes, respectively. The activation energies for viscous flow (DeltaH approximately 16 kcal/mol), minor chains (DeltaE(H) approximately 27 kcal/mol), and backbone motion (Delta E(b) approximately 132 kcal/mol) were obtained using various models. Void closure (tau(v), T(v)) and healing points (tau(H), T(H)) were determined. Using the time-temperature pairs, void closure and healing activation energies were measured and found to be 21 and 30 kcal/mol, respectively. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

An overview of polymer latex film formation and properties

The literature on polymer latex film formation has grown enormously in recent times--driven by the need to find alternatives for solvent-based systems with their adverse environmental impacts. Although greater insight has been shown by the use of modern instrumental techniques such as small angle neutron scattering, direct non-radiative energy transfer and atomic force microscopy, the actual mechanisms involved in deforming spherical particles into void-free films are still the subject of controversy and debate. Surfactant-free homopolymer model colloid latices, favoured in academic studies, together with latices containing surfactants whose redistribution can influence film properties, and the more complex copolymer, blended, core-shell and pigmented systems needed to satisfy a full range of film properties are all considered.