Surface analysis and adhesion properties of coalesced latex films

Abstract

Abstract The surface composition of films obtained from acrylic latexes (45 wt% MMA, 55 wt% BuA) stabilized by two anionic surfactants (either sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) or sodium dodecyl diphenyl ether disulphonate (SDED) has been studied by attenuated total reflection with Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The results of this surface analysis are summarized and used to interpret adhesion properties of the films on glass substrate. Adhesion properties were derived from peeling tests. In the case of SDED, the peel strength increases with surfactant surface concentration. This is due to strong polar interactions between the hydrophilic part of the surfactant and the polar groups of the glass surface and to the anchorage of the hydrophobic part of the surfactant in the copolymer matrix. In the case of SDS, the peel strength decreases with increasing surfactant surface concentration. The same polar interactions as with SDED exist, but the SDS layer at the interface is very thick. It forms what is called a ‘weak boundary layer’ in which rupture propagates easily.