From fatty acid and lactone biobased monomers toward fully renewable polymer latexes

Abstract

Novel waterborne polymeric materials based on renewable resource monomers have been prepared by the environmentally friendly miniemulsion polymerization of an oleic acid-derivative monomer (MOA) and the α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (α-MBL). The effect of the incorporation of different amounts of α-MBL on kinetics and polymer microstructure is investigated. The estimation of the monomer reactivity ratios (rα-MBL = 0.49 and rMOA = 1.26) shows the slight lower reactivity of the α-MBL, resulting in a random copolymer moderately enriched with MOA at the beginning of the reaction. The thermal and mechanical properties of the polymers demonstrate that by incorporating the lactone it is possible to produce copolymers in a broad range of glass transition temperatures, with high thermal stability and improved mechanical properties. This study provides a new green route toward the bio-sourced preparation of polymer latexes with tuneable properties, which can range from coatings to adhesives. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 3543–3549