Effect of fluorine-containing surfactant on fluorinated acrylate emulsion polymerization and the properties of the latex film

Fluorine-containing acrylate monomer modified acrylate hybrid latex particles were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl acrylate (BA), methacrylic acid (MAA), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFMA) in the presence of three kinds of surfactant mixture conditions, respectively. The effect of different surfactant mixtures on properties of fluorinated acrylate latex and film were investigated. Chemical composition and morphology of the resultant hybrid latex particles were respectively characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The addition of a small amount fluorine-containing surfactant leads to an increase of the monomer conversion and improvement of thermal stability of the latex. The average particle size of the latex prepared in the presence of OP-10/Le-180s/CO-436/Le-003 surfactant mixture was uniform and the particle distribution was narrow; thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated the hybrid latex possessed good thermal stability, and the result also revealed the latex exhibited good dilution, refrigeration as well as Ca²⁺ stability.