Design and Preparation of Highly Filled Water‐Borne Polymer–Gibbsite Nanocomposites. Issue 1 (12th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Loiko, Olessya P.; Spoelstra, Anne B.; van Herk, Alexander M.; Meuldijk, Jan; Heuts, Johan P. A.
• Is Part Of: Macromolecular reaction engineering. Volume 12:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2017-12-12
• Subjects: encapsulation -- Gibbsite -- highly filled nanocomposites; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; Reaction mechanisms (Chemistry) -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1002/mren.201700051
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1862-832X

Abstract

Abstract: Highly filled, high solids content, water‐borne polymer–Gibbsite nanocomposites are prepared with Gibbsite contents as high as 35 wt%. The polymer–Gibbsite nanocomposites are synthesised via conventional starved feed emulsion polymerization using negatively charged butyl acrylate‐ co ‐acrylic acid oligomers, which functioned as electrosteric stabilizers for the initial platelets and the subsequently formed latex particles. A simple mathematical model describing the amount of cooligomer required for the colloidal stability of the initial Gibbsite platelets and the subsequently formed particles was derived. This model was used to determine the reaction conditions required for obtaining colloidally stable nanocomposites with a targeted filler content. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy characterization of the resulting nanocomposites with filler contents up to 20 wt% revealed fully encapsulated Gibbsite platelets and a mixed morphology of "muffin‐like" and encapsulated particles was obtained at higher filler contents. Abstract : Highly filled water‐borne anisotropic polymer–Gibbsite nanocomposites are successfully synthesized using a simple mathematical model. Experimental design using this approach results in the desired products with solids contents of 40 wt% and filler contents up to 35 wt%.