Effect of plasticizer release on the final properties of blend, hybrid and block copolymer latex films containing hard and soft phases

Abstract

Waterborne blend, hybrid and block copolymer latexes containing hard and soft polymeric phases in different polymer particles, in the same polymer particles or in the same polymer chains are prepared in order to analyse how the coalescing aids added in order to produce continuous films at room temperature affect their final mechanical properties. The minimum film formation temperature is measured for the three latexes upon addition of Texanol and BDG coalescing aids, and the possibility of producing continuous films at room temperature with different amounts of the coalescing aids is analysed. The plasticizing effect of each coalescing aid is analysed by DSC and by measuring their partition coefficients between the water and the polymeric phases. Finally, the evolution of the mechanical properties of the films plasticized with BDG and dried for different times is related to the evolution of the coalescing aid remaining in the film after those drying periods and to the morphology of each film.